Ludhiana: The interception of a “hit squad” in Punjab has exposed the reach of a deadly diaspora crime network controlled from Germany, Dubai, and Malaysia, preventing targeted killings in Punjab and Haryana.After arresting two alleged hitmen on May 17, the Ludhiana cops and counter-intelligence units on Saturday seized two hand grenades and arrested two more suspects linked to a major foreign-based terror-gangster syndicate plotting these high-profile assassinations.Ludhiana’s police commissioner, Swapan Sharma, said the latest arrested men — Karandeep Singh of Tarn Taran and Baljeet Singh of Amritsar — had a prior criminal record of attempted murder and drug trafficking. They led officers to an abandoned field in Amritsar where the explosives were buried.“Interrogations since the May 17 arrests near Ladhowal led us to these suspects and the grenades,” commissioner Sharma said. “This operation has neutralsed a significant terror threat to the region.”Police say an alliance of exiled Indian gangsters and syndicates operating from Germany, Dubai, and Malaysia directs this network. They say Malaysia-based fugitive Akashdeep Singh, who coordinated with Dubai-based operative Sahil Sondh, had recruited Karandeep and Baljeet, who have confessed they were lured into the plot by promises of cash payouts.The investigation opened mid-month when police intercepted the cell’s primary hitmen, Anuraj Masih and Ankush Singh, near Ladhowal. Officers seized three pistols and 11 rounds of ammunition. The pair revealed it had conducted surveillance to execute five high-profile crimes.They were to commit a contract killing in Haryana’s Kurukshetra, a targeted assassination in Punjab’s Khanna, and three extortion-related shootings across Punjab’s Moga, Faridkot, and Tarn Taran districts. Detectives traced the cell’s command structure back to a fugitive mastermind, Lakha, residing in Europe.Intelligence files link Lakha’s network to several recent major incidents, including the Nov 2025 assassination of regional political figure Naveen Arora in Ferozepur, a Feb shooting targeting other-state labourers in Moga, and a grenade attack on a Haryana petrol station.Police expect further arrests and weapons hauls as the joint counter-terrorism operation continues.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Ludhiana | Silver Rate in Ludhiana | Bank Holidays in Ludhiana | Public Holidays in Ludhiana | Petrol Price in Ludhiana | Diesel Price in Ludhiana | CNG Price in Ludhiana | LPG Price in Ludhiana