New Delhi, Dec 4 (IANS) There have been several drug busts in Punjab by both the local police and central agencies in recent months, in the wake of Intelligence agencies flagging concerns about the rise in narcotic-related operations, specifically with the intention of funding terror activities and, in particular, the Khalistan movement.
Officials say that drug cartels that are set up just to raise funds for the Khalistan movement are operating on a global scale.
An Intelligence Bureau official said that while the drugs that are coming into India are meant to raise funds for the Khalistan movement in Punjab, there are similar cartels that are being operated mainly by Punjabi-Canadians.
Following the crackdown in India, which led to the end of the Khalistan movement, many moved abroad.
A majority of them moved to Canada and, over the years, even became politically influential. These elements thrived while also enjoying protection from the government, as they controlled a significant vote bank.
The ISI has helped set up this network over the years, and considering the scale at which it wants the Khalistanis to operate, it realised that funding through drug money is the only way forward.
In Canada, the trucking firms are used as a cover to transport drugs.
In February this year, the Peel regional police seized 479 kilograms of cocaine, which were hidden in truck trailers which were entering from the United States. Nine persons were arrested, of whom six were Indo-Canadian men.
There are 8 lakh Sikhs living in Canada. Only a fraction of them support the Khalistan movement. This means that those who do not believe in this movement are not contributing to the cause.
The Khalistani terror groups, however, need large chunks of money to go about their business. Hence, drugs are the most lucrative way to raise funds.
Banned outfits such as the Sikhs for Justice (SFJ) hold referendums in several countries. The spending is huge, said an official, as it involves setting up massive stages, organising buses, printing ballots, ground rentals and advertising.
Indian agencies estimate that each referendum costs the SFJ thousands of dollars. Investigations have found that a large chunk of the funding for these referendums has come from drug money.
India has raised this issue on several occasions and said that the lack of a proper crackdown on these narcotic networks is creating a security problem. While money is routed to terror groups to hold referendums, there is also a considerable chunk of funds that is handed over to revive the movement in India.
The assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) in Canada had snowballed into a major diplomatic tussle as the establishment, then under PM Justin Trudeau, had accused Indian agents of being behind the killing.
However, Indian agencies learnt that it was a tussle over a drug deal that led to the killing of Nijjar.
There were issues between Nijjar and another drug cartel over the drug routes. Two of those who were arrested were part of criminal networks dealing in drugs and arms.
Indian officials warn that the problem is only worsening. In the 1980s when the Babbar Khalsa International raised funds through extortion and arms smuggling to raise funds. Today, the complete reliance is on drugs.
An official said that the drug menace is only worsening, and the ISI has been pushing these elements to expand their trade. The money that is being raised is huge, said an Intelligence Bureau official.
“We have witnessed an uptick in activity, and there is a massive push to revive the Khalistan movement on a much larger scale. This would mean more propaganda, more social media activity, radicalisation and referendums. All this costs money, and the way in which the ISI has been pushing these elements to enhance the drug trade is a sign of something bigger to come,” the official said.
Recently, the US Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) had uncovered an international drug cartel that had links to the ISI and Canada. An Indo-Canadian gangster, Opinder Singh Sian, was arrested after he was found to be operating a global fentanyl and methamphetamine trafficking network. The Brothers’ Keepers gang that he was part of is an active supporter of the Khalistan movement.
India is keeping a close tab on these activities and is doing everything to ensure that the funds through these cartels do not reach the country. India has successfully managed to curtail the movement in the country. However, according to another official, the problem is set to get much larger outside India, since the push to raise funds for the Khalistan movement has gone up multi-fold.
–IANS
vicky/vd
