The Anti-Gangster Task Force (AGTF) Punjab, in a joint operation with Tarn Taran Police, has apprehended five key operatives of the organised criminal network of gangster Gurwinder Singh alias Afridi and recovered 11 illegal pistols along with 191 live cartridges from their possession, Director General of Police (DGP) Punjab Gaurav Yadav said on Sunday.

Source: Bright Punjab Express (Punjab Police statement), Nov 15, 2026

Those arrested have been identified by police as Ajaypal Singh, a resident of Gandiwind in Tarn Taran; Jaswinder Singh alias Munsi, a resident of Talwandi Sobha Singh in Tarn Taran; Karanveer alias Karan, a resident of village Kale Ke in Tarn Taran; Ranjit Rana, a resident of village Bhojoke in Tarn Taran; and Ranjit Singh alias Rana, a resident of village Ruknewala in Ferozepur. The DGP's office published the same arrests and seizure figures in an official post on Sunday.

Source: DGP Punjab official Instagram post, Nov 15, 2026

What was recovered

The recovered cache comprises five 9MM pistols, five .30-bore pistols and one .32-bore pistol, according to the police statement, which Punjab Police India's official account also published on Sunday with the same breakdown.

Source: Punjab Police India official post, Nov 15, 2026

How the arrests followed Afridi's return

The development came after the deportation of Afridi from Ethiopia on November 8, 2026, when sustained custodial interrogation led to disclosures about the identities and operational roles of operatives running his syndicate in Punjab, the DGP said. Sharing operational details, Special DGP AGTF Promod Ban said a specialised investigation was launched immediately after Afridi was brought back to India on November 8 to dismantle his criminal ecosystem and map its backward and forward linkages.

Based on Afridi's disclosures, AGTF Punjab, in close coordination with Tarn Taran Police, undertook an intelligence-led investigation to identify the shooters and their logistical supporters, establish their individual roles and trace the illegal weapons being used by them, the Special DGP said, adding that subsequent intelligence development enabled police teams to pinpoint and arrest the five operatives, who police say were acting as shooters and providing logistical backing for extortion-linked firing incidents on the directions of foreign-based handlers.

What police allege — and what happens next

DGP Yadav said preliminary investigation has revealed that the arrested accused were allegedly involved in more than 15 criminal cases, including firing incidents linked to extortion, and were also allegedly involved in cross-border arms smuggling at the behest of foreign-based handlers who tasked them with carrying out serious criminal activities in Punjab. These are police allegations; nothing has been proved in court.

The DGP said further investigation is underway to establish the complete backward and forward linkages in the case, identify other associates and dismantle the wider criminal network. Afridi himself was deported under Operation Shahid, a 10-month intelligence-led international manhunt, and police said at the time that he was wanted in 35 criminal cases, including five murder cases — allegations he is yet to face trial on.