On July 11, 2025, Pavittar Singh Batala, a gangster from Punjab and one of India's "most wanted" fugitives linked to the banned terror group Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), was arrested in California by the FBI along with seven other Indian-origin men in a major crackdown on organized crime.

The operation, coordinated by the San Joaquin County Sheriff's Office AGNET Unit and multiple SWAT teams from the FBI and local police, involved executing five search warrants across San Joaquin County as part of an investigation into a gang-related kidnapping and torture case.

The other suspects arrested were identified as Dilpreet Singh, Amritpal Singh, Arshpreet Singh, Manpreet Randhawa, Sarabjit Singh, Gurtaj Singh, and a man known only as Vishal. All eight were booked into the San Joaquin County Jail on multiple felony charges, including kidnapping, torture, wrongful confinement (false imprisonment), conspiracy to commit a crime, intimidating or threatening a witness, assault with a semiautomatic firearm, and making criminal threats.

Additional weapons-related charges included possession of a machine gun, illegal possession of an assault weapon, manufacturing and selling high-capacity magazines, manufacturing a short-barrel rifle, and carrying a loaded, unregistered handgun.

During the raids, authorities seized at least six firearms—including a fully automatic Glock handgun—an assault rifle, hundreds of rounds of ammunition, several high-capacity magazines, and over $15,000 in cash.

The operation was part of the FBI's "Summer Heat" initiative, a nationwide effort targeting violent offenders and gang members who threaten public safety in US communities.

Batala, who had an Interpol Red Corner Notice against him, was recently named in a National Investigation Agency (NIA) chargesheet in India, alongside other BKI-linked operatives.

He is accused of using encrypted apps and virtual numbers to promote a pro-Khalistan network and facilitate the supply of illegal firearms to Punjab-based gangsters, reportedly under the instructions of ISI-linked terrorist Rinda Sandhu. Indian authorities are in contact with their US counterparts regarding Batala’s possible extradition.

The arrests highlight a broader trend where several Indian-origin terrorists and gangsters, such as Goldy Brar, Anmol Bishnoi, and Rohit Godara, have sought refuge in the US and Canada to evade prosecution in India, often continuing their criminal operations from abroad.

Based On A NDTV Report