Haryana STF tightens noose around gangsters hiding abroad, extradites 27 back to India

DGP Ajay Singhal says the force is targeting not just the gangsters themselves but their local associates, financiers and digital networks

PGurus Newsdesk

September 11, 2026

Haryana DGP Ajay Singhal says the crackdown targets not just gangsters abroad but their local associates, financiers and digital networks too

27 gangsters brought home: inside Haryana STF’s crackdown on overseas crime networks

In a sustained crackdown against organised crime syndicates operating from foreign soil, the Special Task Force (STF) of Haryana Police has successfully secured the repatriation of 27 wanted gangsters through deportation and extradition, officials confirmed on Friday.

According to a press release issued by Haryana Police, of the 27 fugitives brought back, seven were extradited or deported in 2025, while 14 have been repatriated so far in 2026. The most recent operation was carried out on August 4, 2026, when an actively wanted criminal was deported from the United Arab Emirates, marking the STF’s 13th successful deportation this year.

Haryana Director General of Police Ajay Singhal underlined the state’s zero-tolerance approach, stating that the force is acting against criminals who direct activity in Haryana while based abroad, as well as against their local associates, arms suppliers, financiers and digital networks. He added that through stronger coordination with police forces in other states and central agencies, along with intelligence-sharing and technical surveillance, the entire criminal network is being systematically identified. Regardless of how far a criminal may relocate, he said, Haryana Police continues to monitor his activities and remains committed to bringing him before the law.

Detailing the intelligence framework behind the cross-border operations, Inspector General of Police (STF) Satish Balan said the STF is deploying both human and technical intelligence to trace the locations, travel history and movements of wanted criminals abroad. Analysis of fake passports, fraudulent identities and biometric and fingerprint records is being used to establish the identity and whereabouts of these individuals. Twelve gangsters have already been detained overseas, with extradition or deportation proceedings currently underway, in coordination with international agencies and the authorities of the concerned countries.

The release noted that Haryana Police has been actively utilising international legal and coordination mechanisms to reinforce action against absconding criminals. Since August 2023, the force has issued 144 Look Out Circulars, 54 Red Corner Notices and 53 Interpol References. Additionally, 93 passports have been revoked, alongside nine Provisional Arrest Requests and 16 Extradition Requests. A proposal is also under consideration to offer a reward of US$10,000 each for information leading to the arrest of four wanted criminals currently hiding abroad.

The STF is further tracking financial transactions, banking activity and cryptocurrency channels linked to these criminal networks, with the aim of disrupting the flow of illicit funds generated through crime. Continuous action is also being taken against local shooters, associates, arms suppliers and facilitators connected to overseas operators, in an effort to weaken these networks at their roots. Digital footprints and social media activity of criminals and their associates are being monitored as well, generating intelligence on communication, recruitment and criminal operations.

To strengthen control over inter-state gangs, Haryana Police has established a coordination mechanism with police forces in Punjab, Rajasthan, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, enabling real-time intelligence sharing on gangsters, shooters, arms suppliers, financiers and associates. Joint raids and coordinated arrests are being conducted against wanted and reward-listed criminals operating across state borders, supported by regular inter-state coordination meetings for threat assessment and joint strategy formulation. Relevant criminal records, including gang profiles and network interconnections, are also being uploaded to the National Investigation Agency’s Organised Crime and Narco-Terrorism Database (OCND) platform.

Through a combination of deportation and extradition efforts, intelligence sharing, financial network disruption, digital surveillance, local network enforcement and inter-state coordination, Haryana Police stated that it is pursuing an intelligence-driven, coordinated approach against the broader ecosystem of organised and violent crime.

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