• Parminder Singh Aujla

SACRAMENTO, CA (TIP): A 32-year-old Indian national, Harpreet Singh—listed as one of India’s most wanted fugitives—was arrested last week in California by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents, following revelations about his alleged connections to terrorist activities and a web of criminal offenses committed across the United States. Singh, who entered the country illegally on January 27, 2022, through Arizona, was initially apprehended by U.S. Border Patrol agents in the Tucson sector. Despite being placed in removal proceedings, he was later released into the interior of the country, pending a court hearing. According to Indian intelligence sources, Singh is a high-ranking operative with direct links to Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), a Pakistan-based Sikh extremist group designated as a terrorist organization. Formed in the 1970s, BKI has been linked to political assassinations, armed assaults, and bombings targeting Indian state and police officials.

Singh is accused by Indian authorities of orchestrating and funding over a dozen grenade attacks, including one targeting a police station and another on the home of a retired Punjab police officer. The attacks were reportedly intended to spread fear among law enforcement officials and disrupt public safety.

Beyond his alleged terror affiliations, Singh’s criminal footprint in the U.S. is extensive. In January 2024, he was arrested in Scottsdale, Arizona, after attempting to steal artwork valued at $250,000—including pieces by Picasso and Warhol—from a fine art gallery. Officers found him on the roof of the building, in possession of burglary tools and stolen items. He was charged with criminal trespassing and burglary.

Prior to that, in November 2023, Singh was implicated in a scam in Monroe County, New York, where he impersonated an officer to commit attempted grand larceny. He claimed to be collecting money on behalf of a friend in New York City.

In May 2024, federal authorities in the Eastern District of New York convicted Singh of several serious offenses, including conspiracy to distribute controlled substances (including synthetic opioids and muscle relaxants), fraudulent importation, money laundering, and obstruction of justice. As a result, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a 10-year debarment order, barring Singh from importing or selling pharmaceutical drugs in the country.

Singh has also challenged his detention by ICE, filing a habeas corpus petition in the U.S. District Court in Arizona in late 2024. But with mounting criminal convictions and his status as a high-priority target for Indian anti-terror agencies, Singh now faces likely deportation.

Indian officials assert that Singh is closely linked to Harwinder Singh Rinda, a notorious BKI figure believed to be operating out of Pakistan. Together, they are suspected of leading a transnational terror network responsible for violent extortion, recruitment, and targeted killings.

As of now, Harpreet Singh remains in ICE custody.