Punjab Police to seek Interpol ‘silver notices’ to freeze overseas assets of 61 gangsters
Senior officials confirmed that a list of 61 highly active criminals, accused of orchestrating extortion calls, targeted killings and violent attacks in Punjab while residing overseas has been prepared
PTC Web Desk: In a significant escalation of its crackdown on organised crime, the Punjab Police have initiated steps to secure Interpol Silver Notices aimed at tracing and freezing the overseas assets of gangsters operating from abroad.
Senior officials confirmed that a list of 61 highly active criminals, accused of orchestrating extortion calls, targeted killings and violent attacks in Punjab while residing overseas has been prepared. Extradition proceedings against 38 of them are already in progress, Director General of Police Gaurav Yadav had stated recently.
The Bureau of Investigation (BOI) is spearheading the legal and diplomatic process. According to Additional Director General of Police LK Yadav, Interpol began issuing Silver Notices in January 2025 as part of a pilot initiative. These notices enable member nations to trace, monitor and recover assets linked to serious crimes, including organised crime, drug trafficking, corruption and financial fraud.
Unlike the well-known Red Notice, which seeks the arrest of fugitives, a Silver Notice focuses specifically on identifying and freezing assets such as properties, vehicles, business holdings and bank accounts believed to be proceeds of crime. Officials say the mechanism provides a powerful financial strike against criminal networks operating beyond India’s borders.
The first Silver Notice under the pilot phase was issued on January 10, 2025, at the request of Italian authorities against a senior mafia operative. By mid-2025, more than 50 such notices had reportedly been circulated globally. The pilot programme is scheduled to continue until November 2025 before wider implementation.
The Punjab Police will route its request for Silver Notices through the Central Bureau of Investigation, which serves as India’s official liaison with Interpol. Once approved, the notices will allow foreign jurisdictions to freeze identified assets under their respective legal frameworks.
Officials pointed out that while domestic assets can be seized under laws such as the Prevention of Money Laundering Act and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, the Silver Notice mechanism extends similar financial pressure internationally.
The move forms part of a broader offensive against organised crime under the “Gangstran Te Vaar” campaign. During the first phase, titled “Operation Prahar”, a 72-hour drive launched on January 20 targeted safe houses, arms supply routes and communication channels linked to foreign-based gangsters, resulting in over 3,200 arrests.
The second phase, “Operation Prahar 2.0”, began on February 9, leading to thousands more arrests and the recovery of 128 illegal weapons. Authorities have also established a dedicated Anti-Gangster Task Force police station in Rajpura with statewide jurisdiction.
Declaring 2026 as the “Year Against Gangsters,” DGP Yadav has pledged sustained action to dismantle criminal syndicates and counter alleged attempts by hostile elements across the border to destabilise the state.
Since the launch of the campaign, the Punjab Police have conducted nearly 17,000 raids and arrested more than 9,000 individuals, marking one of the most extensive anti-gangster operations in the state’s recent history.