One of India’s most dreaded gangsters, Harpreet Singh alias Happy Passia with supposed connections to terrorism — has been detained in the United States and is currently in the custody of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The capture marks a major advancement for Indian security forces, who had been monitoring him for his involvement in various terror activities in Punjab.
Passia carried a Rs 5 lakh bounty on him declared by NIA
Passia had a Rs 5 lakh bounty on him declared by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and had become a big challenge for both Punjab Police and central intelligence agencies. The initial images of him in custody have emerged after his arrest in Sacramento by the FBI and the Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In an official statement issued by FBI, it was stated, “Harpreet Singh, an alleged terrorist responsible for terror attacks in Punjab, India, was arrested by the FBI and ERO in Sacramento. Linked to two international terrorist groups, he entered the U.S. illegally and used burner phones to evade capture.”
Passis was believed to have connections with ISI
It is thought that Passia had strong operational connections with Pakistan’s ISI and extremist groups like Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and the network of the late Harvinder Singh Rinda.
Intelligence agencies claim that he played a key role in organizing and carrying out multiple attacks in Punjab, such as a January 2025 explosion near the Gumtala police post in Amritsar, which resulted in the detonation of a senior officer’s vehicle. While the precise reason for the explosion was unknown initially, it was believed to have been activated by a modified carburetor device.
Following the attack, Passia took responsibility and issued additional threats, promising to execute more similar attacks in response to purported police actions against his family. He also rejected any connection to three men from Gurdaspur who were killed in a police encounter in Pilibhit, asserting they had no ties to his gang.
