KHALISTAN EXTREMISM MONITOR
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
A project of the Institute for Conflict Management
22-May-2026
On May 22, Punjab Police, on day 447 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 57 drug smugglers, and seized 7.3 kg of heroin, 60 kg of poppy husk, 255 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 3050 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
22-May-2026
Police on May 22 arrested two drug smugglers, identified as Akashdeep Singh alias Kashi and Ajaypal Singh alias Ajay, and seized 170,000 narcotic pills from their possession near the inter-state Shambhu barrier in Patiala district.
22-May-2026
According to reports, Amritsar Police have arrested a West Bengal-based graphic designer, Sourav Biswas alias Michael, for allegedly being part of a nationwide hoax bomb threat email racket targeting schools and sensitive establishments over the past several months. Police said the accused, originally from Bangladesh, had entered India illegally several years ago. Investigators said Biswas was involved in procuring and selling email accounts used to send anonymous bomb threats. Around 300 Gmail accounts were allegedly bought and resold through Facebook groups and encrypted platforms, including 219 accounts sold to a Bangladesh-based individual via USDT cryptocurrency transactions. Police suspect some accounts were later supplied to Pakistan-based persons involved in spreading bomb threats and other cyber activities aimed at creating panic and disrupting public order.
21-May-2026
Police on May 21 arrested a man, identified as Baljit Singh, on charges of allegedly spying for Pakistan by transmitting live visuals of military and paramilitary movement along the strategically important Pathankot-Jammu highway, in Pathankot district. The accused allegedly installed an internet-enabled CCTV camera near a bridge on National Highway-44, a key route frequently used by Army and security convoys travelling to Jammu and Kashmir. According to investigators, the surveillance system had reportedly been operational since January 2026, with the live footage allegedly shared with Pakistan-based handlers to monitor troop deployment and convoy movement in real time. Police sources said the accused admitted during interrogation that he acted on instructions from an unidentified contact based in Dubai and allegedly received INR 40,000 for setting up and operating the surveillance network.
21-May-2026
Around 12 private schools on May 21 received threat emails warning of bomb blasts on their campuses in Bathinda district. Sources said four schools initially received the emails, but similar threats were later sent to other institutions as well. Following the threats, school authorities informed the police, which launched search operations.
21-May-2026
On May 21, several prominent schools in Chandigarh received bomb threat emails, prompting authorities to activate emergency safety protocols and launch an investigation. Chandigarh Police said the emails followed a pattern similar to previous threat messages received in the city and clarified that no suspicious object had been found.
21-May-2026
On May 21, the 121st day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangstran Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahar— the police conducted 552 raids, arrested 243 persons and recovered one weapon from their possession. Preventive action was taken against 87 individuals, while 14 persons were verified and released after questioning. Four proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
21-May-2026
On May 21, Punjab Police, on day 446 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 92 drug smugglers, and seized 7.5 kg of heroin, 500 grams of opium, 170000 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 700 drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
21-May-2026
The Counter Intelligence (CI) wing of Punjab Police on May 21 arrested two brothers, Bobby Singh and Harjit Singh, and recovered 5.5 kg of heroin, four pistols, and 10 live cartridges from their possession, near Kale Ghanupur village in Amritsar district. Preliminary investigations revealed that the duo was allegedly in contact with a cross-border smuggler and had been receiving consignments of drugs and weapons for distribution across Punjab.
20-May-2026
The Border Security Force (BSF) on May 20 arrested a man, identified as Gurpreet Singh, and recovered 447 grams of heroin, a foreign-made pistol, and two magazines from his possession in Burj 169 village in Tarn Taran district. Preliminary investigations suggest that the heroin and weapons were smuggled from across the border using drones.
20-May-2026
Punjab Police on May 20 claimed to have arrested 30,721 persons after conducting 77,895 raids across the state since the launch of its statewide anti-gangster campaign, “Gangstran Te Vaar,” on January 20. Special DGP (Law and Order) P K Sinha said police recovered 569 weapons, 1,613 live cartridges, 157 magazines, 181 sharp-edged weapons, and seven hand grenades from those arrested. Preventive action was initiated against 13,007 persons, while 17,711 were verified and released after questioning. Police also arrested 1,108 proclaimed offenders (POs) during the campaign. A police spokesperson further stated that, under the state government’s anti-drug campaign, “Yudh Nashian Virudh,” police have so far arrested 64,844 persons.
20-May-2026
On May 20, the 120th day of Punjab Police’s statewide “war on gangsters” (Gangstran Te Vaar) campaign—Operation Prahar— the police conducted 557 raids, arrested 246 persons. Preventive action was taken against 10 individuals, while 10 proclaimed offenders (POs) were also arrested during the operation.
20-May-2026
On May 20, Punjab Police, on day 445 of its “Yudh Nashian Virudh” campaign, arrested 68 drug smugglers, and seized 14.8 kg of heroin, 12 kg of ICE (methamphetamine), 873 intoxicant tablets/capsules and INR 2,900 in drug money from the possession of arrested persons, across the state.
20-May-2026
Police on May 20 arrested a person identified as Om and seized 10.125 kg of heroin from his possession near the Khai Pheme Ke–Habib Ke village road in Mallanwala, Ferozepur district.
20-May-2026
Police on May 20 arrested two persons, identified as Aniket Kumar and Sumit Kumar, and recovered two kg of ICE drug and a .30-bore Turkish pistol from their possession in Ferozepur district.
20-May-2026
The Crime Investigation Agency (CIA) on May 20 arrested three youths, identified as Shekhwinder Singh, Lakhvir Singh alias Manga, and Gurpinder Singh alias Manna, and recovered a hand grenade from their possession near the Chak Pakhi Railway Station area in Fazilka district.
20-May-2026
Amritsar Police on May 20 dismantled an international narco-smuggling module with links extending from Punjab to Dubai by arresting two accused and recovering 10 kg of ICE (methamphetamine) and 4 kg of heroin from their possession in Amritsar district. The arrests pointed to a well-organised cross-border syndicate operating through foreign handlers. Police said the accused were allegedly working under the directions of a Dubai/Abu Dhabi-based drug smuggler who used international contacts to push narcotics into Punjab and Delhi. The investigation further revealed that local operatives were being recruited, trained abroad, and then used to expand the synthetic drug network across the Majha and Doaba regions in Punjab.
20-May-2026
The Counter Intelligence (CI) wing in Amritsar has uncovered a disturbing recruitment pattern after busting a Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) module on May 19 allegedly linked to ISI-backed gangster-turned-terrorist Jeevan Fauji. Investigators found that vulnerable village youths were first drawn in through local cricket matches, then used for drug smuggling before being tasked with transporting explosives. Two arrested youths, Ajay and Jobanbir Singh, allegedly joined the network through local contacts who promised easy money. Initially used to deliver narcotics for payments of Rs 5,000–7,000, they were later asked to transport foam-wrapped packets that police identified as hand grenades. Acting on intelligence inputs, CI teams intercepted them before the consignment reached its destination. Police said the grenades were meant to target key establishments and disturb peace in Punjab.
20-May-2026
The Shimla police on May 20 arrested an alleged interstate drug supplier, identified as Akash Deep alias Akash, from Jalalabad near the India-Pakistan border in Fazilka district in Punjab. Shimla Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Gaurav Singh said his role surfaced during an investigation into a drug case in which two Punjab residents, Nishan Singh and Gurpreet Singh, were arrested in Shimla with 10.3 grams of heroin.
19-May-2026
The Counter-Intelligence Wing of Punjab Police on May 19 arrested two associates linked to foreign-based handlers of the banned terrorist outfit Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), identified as Ajay and Jodhbir Singh and seized two hand grenades from their possession in Amritsar district. According to police officials, preliminary investigations revealed that the grenades were part of a larger conspiracy to target government institutions and key infrastructure in Punjab with the intent to disturb peace and disrupt law and order in the state.