‘Animals with no regard for life': 8 Indian-origin men held in US for kidnapping, torture, extortion; FBI links gang to murders in India
JALANDHAR: Investigating the eight Indian-origin suspects arrested in San Joaquin County, California, on July 11, county authorities and FBI said the international Punjabi street gang kidnapped a local man, stripped him naked, and tortured him for hours as part of a brutal extortion racket that stretches from California'to murder plots in India.
The authorities have urged Indian-Americas to report such extortion threats.
Addressing a joint press conference, they revealed the gang leader, Pavittar Singh, was also wanted in India for multiple murders and firearms offences, including a killing in Batala, Punjab.
FBI also cited earlier US arrests of Indian gang leaders: Gurdev 'Jassal' Singh (RPG attacks), Harpreet Singh, also known as Happy Passia, Lawrence Bishnoi's brother Anmol , linked to the murder of singer Sidhu Moose Wala, and others.
8 Indian-origin suspects face life in jail without bail
Eight suspects, led by Pavittar, now face charges of kidnapping for ransom, torture and illegal weapons that carry life sentences. A multi-agency SWAT sweep on July 11 had netted machine guns, an assault rifle, and $15,000 cash stashed in a ceiling vent.
Sheriff Patrick Withrow said they were tipped off on June 21 about a horrendous crime that occurred on June 19 in the Manteca area.
They contacted the victim and, on July 11, their AGNET Unit — alongside SWAT teams from FBI, Stockton police, Manteca police and Stanislaus County sheriff's office — executed five coordinated search warrants across the county and arrested the suspects.
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Withrow said the purpose of the torture was to extract names of other potential extortion targets in the Indian-American business community.
Elaborating on the federal and international angle, Sid Patel from FBISacramento field office said Pavittar was wanted in India for firearm violations, assault and multiple murders abroad. He revealed six of the eight suspects were picked up by ICE ERO for immigration proceedings, and FBI was coordinating with India and Canada on extradition after US sentences.
San Joaquin County District Attorney Ron Freitas told the press conference that they filed two complaints charging the eight men with serious gang-related crimes, including kidnapping, torture, extortion, witness intimidation, and multiple weapon violations. They said the suspects faced life in prison, with no bail and no exceptions.
Apart from Pavitar, other members of the gang included Dilpreet Singh, Sarbjit Singh, Gurtaj Singh, Amritpall Singh, Vishal Singh, Arshpreet Singh, and Manpreet Randhawa.
According to the sheriff and FBI, the gang operations included extortion of Indian-American business owners, forced free labour, violent truck cargo hijackings along Central Valley, weapons and drug trafficking, and international political violence (RPG attacks, assassinations, grenade assaults on police stations in India).
Each of the accused faces a life-in-prison baseline for kidnapping for ransom, along with firearm and gang enhancements that could push to life without parole. The sheriff even said, "Suspects are animals with little or no regard for human life."
Announcing the setting up of an anonymous tip line specifically for this case, the sheriff urged Indian-American residents to report extortion and intimidation attempts. "Help us hunt the rest of this gang — call us."
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