Terror kingpin deported from Philippines to India, arrested

New Delhi: July 8, 2024. It was unusually rainy, hot and humid that night in Bacolod City, Philippines. The Bureau of Immigration assembled a crack team of select agents from their Fugitive Search Unit (FSU) to hunt down a high-value suspect. The target was an "Indian-Nepalese" national, the subject of a red-corner notice, located by Indian agencies in their country.
The subject, Joginder Gyong, 41, was described as a ranking kingpin of a separatist terror group and a wanted criminal in India. He was tipped to be hiding in an apartment in Barangay Tackling locality in Bacolod. The police in Delhi and central agencies identified the alias "Kanta Gupta" that Geong was using to stay undercover.
Acting on real-time information from their Indian counterparts, the FSU sleuths carried out a clean operation, apprehending their suspect in an "in-and-out" sweep.
However, this was just the beginning of a tedious process of getting a fugitive back. Delhi Police's Special Cell, CBI, Intelligence Bureau and Haryana Police followed Geong closely for months. As deportation proceedings began, Geong was detained at BI warden facility in Camp Bagong Diwa, Taguig City, in high security. There was a chance that Khalistan groups could try to free him.
It took almost six months for the Indian authorities to get hold of Geong as he was flown in from Manila to Bangkok two days ago and, finally, to India, where he was arrested by Delhi Police's Special Cell early on Sunday.
The events started to unfold early in 2024 when Indian agency sleuths shared information with their counterparts in Manila, said a source. The immigration subsequently issued a 'mission order' for Geong's arrest. Geong was heading an organised crime syndicate and was sentenced to life imprisonment in India. After cops got hot on his trail, Geong fled to the Philippines, where he assumed a fake identity and re-established his gang. Interestingly, he fled to South Africa in mid-2000 and was deported in 2007 too.
"He is the younger brother of Surender Geong, who died in an exchange of fire with Haryana Police in 2018. Geong spread his tentacles in Karnal, Panipat, Kaithal, Gurgaon and Delhi and was attempting to re-establish a network for extorting money from doctors, contractors, liquor vendors and other financially well-off businessmen," said a senior cop.
After settling down in the Philippines, he reorganised his gang and started his criminal enterprise and further got fully involved in the terror network of Arsh Dalla, a designated and wanted terrorist of KTF.
The Davinder Bambhia gang, currently operated by wanted fugitive Lucky Patial, also came on board, having a fraternal relationship with Kaushal Chaudhary's gang. Soon, Geong rose to be a key planner and organiser of manpower, harbouring fugitives and moving narcotics and weapons as a logistical hub to facilitate the activities of these criminal networks.
This network then carried out sensational killings of Youth Akal Dal leader Vicky Midhukhera, Gurlal Brar and Kabaddi player Sandeep Nangal Ambian in recent years. According to police, Geong's criminal history spans 24 cases, with convictions in 15 cases, including five murder cases. A reward of Rs 1.5 lakh was declared on him.
Geong's arrest is expected to reveal new information about the terror-criminal nexus, their international connections, and potential links with hostile foreign entities.
"The arrest marks a major milestone in the collaboration between Delhi and Haryana Police forces to combat the terrorist-gangster nexus with help from central agencies," said Additional Commissioner (Special Cell) Pramod Kushwaha. A team comprising Inspector Maan Singh and ACP Ved Prakash are interrogating Geong in custody at present.