Germany arrests two men alleged to be in Sikh terrorist group

Thu, 09 Dec 2010

Berlin - Germany has arrested two Indians alleged to be in a Sikh terrorist organization, the Khalistan Zindabad Force, federal prosecutors said in Karlsruhe on Thursday.

The men, named only as 35-year-old Sukhpreet S and 41-year-old Jagtar S M, both Indian nationals, were detained on Tuesday and remanded in custody the next day by a judge.

They are under investigation for membership in a foreign terrorist organization and for breaches of weapons laws, the prosecutors said.

The Khalistan Zindabad Force (KZF) is a violent group which seeks to create an independent state out of areas of India where the Sikh religion is in the majority. "Khalistan" is the name it gives to the state it proposes to set up.

The prosecutors said KZF actively tried to smuggle explosives, small arms and forged cash into the Indian state of Punjab, with Europe-based members acquiring these resources and fund-raising for the group.

In addition, KZF had attempted to topple moderate Sikh leaders at temples in Europe to expand their control over Sikhs abroad.

The men were detained near Frankfurt and near the western city of Dusseldorf.

Sukhpreet S allegedly bought a semi-automatic weapon for the KZF last year and Jagtar S M allegedly obtained another this year. He had paid 350 euros (1,750 dollars) for it along with a supply of ammunition, a statement said.

Source: Earth Times.
Link: http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/news/357338,be-sikh-terrorist-group.html.