Punjab Police brings Afridi back after 10-month manhunt

On November 8, Gurwinder, alias Afridi, landed at Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport after Ethiopian authorities deported him to India. Punjab Police said he had been detained in Ethiopia on November 6, ending a 10-month hunt. A team from the state’s Anti-Gangster Task Force took him into custody and began escorting him to Punjab. The state had offered a reward of Rs 5 lakh for information leading to his arrest. ^1,4

The Anti-Gangster Task Force, or AGTF, worked with Punjab Police’s Overseas Fugitive Tracking and Extradition Cell, or OFTEC, and central agencies to find him. The operation, called Operation SHAHID, used intelligence and surveillance across countries in Asia, South America and Africa, according to Punjab Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav. Police identify Afridi as a key figure in the Doni Bal-Prabh Dassuwal gang. One report says he traveled from the UAE to Kenya, then Angola and Ethiopia. ^2,4

The cross-border trail matters because police say Afridi directed targeted killings, shootings linked to extortion and other organized crimes in Punjab while abroad. These are allegations, and investigators still need to establish his role and the network around him. One report says he is wanted in 35 cases, including five murder cases. Those include the 2024 killing of AAP sarpanch Rajwinder, alias Raj Talwandi, and the 2025 killing of 12-year-old Gursewak Singh. ^2,10

The 35 cases now enter a new stage: Afridi is back in Indian custody, where Punjab Police can question him and continue its investigations. The allegations do not amount to proof, and the sources report no court finding on them. Police say further investigation will establish his alleged role and identify the wider gang network. Punjab Police officials were expected to hold a press conference later on Sunday. ^1,2