New Delhi [India]: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday detained several suspects during a massive multi-state crackdown at 53 locations on the terrorists-gangsters-drug smugglers’ nexus, connected with ‘listed terrorist’ Arsh Dalla and many dreaded gangsters.
Besides Arsh Dalla, others under the NIA scanner in these raids were notorious gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi, Sukha Duneke, Harry Maur, Narender alias Lali, Kala Jatheri, and Deepak Tinu.
Pistols, ammunition, large numbers of digital devices and incriminating material, were seized during the raids that spanned the six states of Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and the Union Territory of Chandigarh.
Some of the locations where raids were conducted included Amritsar, Moga, Fazilka, Ludhiana, Mohali, Faridkot, Barnala, Bhatinda, Ferozpur, SAS Nagar, Amritsar, and Jalandhar districts of Punjab; Rohtak, Sirsa, Fatehabad and Faridabad districts of Haryana; Sri Ganga Nagar, Jhunjhunu, Hanumangarh and Jodhpur districts of Rajasthan; Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh; Dehradun and Udhamsingh Nagar districts of Uttarakhand; besides South-east district of Delhi and NCR and Union Territory of Chandigarh.
The NIA said state police forces provided the necessary support and assistance in the raids conducted at a total of 53 locations during the day-long operation, which started early this morning.
These were the seventh in the series of such crackdowns launched by the NIA following the registration of five cases since August 2022, including the two new cases registered against organized criminal gangs in July 2023.
The cases relate to conspiracies of targeted killings, terror funding of pro-Khalistan outfits, extortion, etc. by the gangsters, many of whom are lodged in various Jails or are operating from various foreign countries, including Pakistan, Canada, Malaysia, Portugal and Australia.
The focus of today’s raids, the NIA said, aimed at dismantling the terror-gangster-drug smuggler nexus, was on weapon suppliers, financiers and logistics providers associated with various hardcore gangs and their operatives. “These gangs are working with drug smugglers and terrorists based out of other countries, including Pakistan, UAE, Canada and Portugal.”
NIA investigations have revealed that the conspiracies under investigation were being hatched in jails of different states and were being executed by an organized network of operatives based abroad, said the anti-terror agency.
Notable among such conspiracies were the sensational killing of Maharashtra builder Sanjay Biyani, Mining trader Mehal Singh and international Kabaddi player Sandeep Nangal Ambia in Punjab last year, it further said.
“Many of the criminals and gangsters, who were earlier leading gangs in the country, have fled abroad in recent years and are now carrying out their terror and violence-related activities from there,” the NIA stated
“These criminals have been engaged in planning and commissioning serious crimes, including contract and revenge killings, in association with criminals lodged in Jails across India. These groups have been carrying out targeted killings and raising funds for attacks and other nefarious activities through smuggling of drugs and weapons, hawala and extortions,” the agency added.
The NIA had earlier conducted similar raids at over 370 locations, leading to the seizure of 38 arms, including four lethal weapons, along with 1129 rounds of ammunition. The agency has so far frozen 87 bank accounts and attached 13 Properties, besides seizing 331 digital devices, 418 documents and two vehicles.
Two absconders have been declared as designated individual terrorists, and 15 accused declared as Proclaimed offenders and Red Corner Notices (RCNs) issued against nine others as a result of NIA’s concerted efforts to destroy and dismantle the deadly nexus between terrorists like Dalla and dreaded gangsters and drug smugglers.
“Further investigations are on to dismantle such terror, violence and extortion networks as well as their funding and support infrastructure,” the NIA added.
