Harpreet Singh, also known as Happy Passia, a wanted Khalistani terrorist accused of orchestrating 14 grenade attacks in Punjab, has been arrested by the FBI in the United States. Sources revealed that he was taken into custody on Friday in Sacramento, California, by the FBI along with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO).

The FBI confirmed his arrest, stating that Singh is connected to two international terrorist groups and had entered the U.S. illegally. He had been using burner phones and encrypted apps to avoid being tracked. In 2021, Passia crossed into the U.S. through the Mexico border with help from a human trafficking ring. Prior to that, in 2020, he fled to the UK using a fake identity and stayed there for several months before making his way to the U.S.

The FBI Sacramento office posted a statement on X, saying, "Today, Harpreet Singh, an alleged terrorist responsible for terror attacks in Punjab, India, was arrested by the #FBI & #ERO in Sacramento. Linked to two international terrorist groups, he entered the U.S. illegally and used burner phones to evade capture.’’

Intelligence agencies have confirmed that Passia has been detained in the U.S. Over the past seven months, there have been 16 grenade attacks in the state, targeting police stations, religious sites, and the homes of public figures, including a senior BJP leader, Manoranjan Kalia, in Jalandhar. Passia's involvement has been linked to investigating at least 14 attacks. According to sources, on September 11 of last year, two individuals threw a grenade at a house in Chandigarh's Sector 10, reportedly under Passia's orders. The target was retired Superintendent of Police Jaskirat Singh Chahal, who had served as the Station House Officer in Nakodar in 1986, when four Sikh protesters were killed in a police shooting. In December 2023, Punjab Police dismantled a terror cell led by Happy Passia and Shamsher, alias Honey, which was behind grenade attacks on police targets in Batala and Gurdaspur districts.

Sources have reported that further investigations revealed Passia's role in arranging explosives, weapons, and logistical support for the accused through his local contacts in Punjab, as well as providing financial assistance.

It has been revealed that Passia is a key member of the Khalistani militant group Babbar Khalsa International (BKI), which has connections with Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Since 2023, he has been working with the Khalistani militant Harwinder Singh Sandhu, alias Rinda, and they are believed to be involved in establishing terror networks in Punjab.

Sources also stated that Harpreet Singh, a matriculate from Passia village in Punjab's Amritsar district, comes from an agricultural family. He is one of India's most wanted criminals, with a reward of Rs 5 lakh for his capture. In January this year, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) announced a reward for his involvement in several grenade attacks, for which he has reportedly claimed responsibility. His mother, Bhupinder Kaur, and his younger sister, Kirandeep Kaur, were captured by the police for allegedly providing shelter to criminals. He was named in a chargesheet submitted to the special NIA court, alongside Harwinder Singh Sandhu, alias Rinda, as Passia is accused of involvement in several terror attacks and is wanted in numerous cases, including those under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Arms Act, and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act.

During questioning last year, the NIA discovered that several associates of Lakhbir Singh Sandhu, alias Landa, a Canada-based Khalistani terrorist, and Rinda, revealed that the two terrorists had stopped collaborating and that Rinda had begun working with Passia. Passia’s network is suspected of being involved in the 2022 murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, according to sources.