CHANDIGARH: Notorious gangster Gurpreet Singh, alias Goldy Dhillon, who allegedly operated a gangster network in Punjab and Chandigarh from abroad, has been taken into custody in Spain, police sources said. Reliable sources confirmed that the gangster, who is named in cases involving threats to Aam Aadmi Party MLA Neena Mittal and the broad-daylight murder of a pharmacy cashier in Chandigarh’s Sector 11, was apprehended in Spain on Friday. Sources said the breakthrough came through a joint operation involving the Punjab Police, Chandigarh Police and central intelligence agencies. Security agencies had reportedly monitored his movements overseas for several months. Goldy Dhillon, also known as “Goldy Rajpura”, is believed to be a close associate of Canada-based gangster Satinderjit Singh, alias Goldy Brar, who has been designated a terrorist by India’s Ministry of Home Affairs. In a National Investigation Agency (NIA) chargesheet, Goldy Dhillon was also named alongside Goldy Brar as a co-conspirator in a shooting and extortion case involving a businessman from Chandigarh’s Sector 5. Investigating agencies said Goldy Dhillon had been running multiple extortion and targeted killing modules in Punjab over the past year. Recently, two of his aides, who had allegedly been assigned to carry out targeted killings in Mohali and Rajpura, were arrested with five pistols. He was also allegedly behind a firing incident at a house in Gaddo Majra, Rajpura, in which an elderly man was injured. Following the attack, extortion was allegedly demanded from the victim’s son, who lives in the United States. Police also traced the location of his key recruiter, Mandeep Sarpanch, to Spain, from where the network was allegedly being operated. Sources said Goldy Dhillon used threats and violence to establish control over illegal arms and drug trafficking operations in Punjab. To evade law enforcement agencies, he reportedly relied on encrypted messaging apps such as Zangi and Signal. Indian agencies have begun efforts through diplomatic and legal channels to secure his extradition or deportation to India. However, an official confirmation from the Spanish authorities is still awaited.
