NIA Conducts Raid Across Delhi-NCR, Punjab And Haryana To Bust Gangster-Terror-Drug Nexus

The raids come weeks after the Central Bureau of Investigation in coordination with the Narcotics Control Bureau and multiple state police conducted a major crackdown against drug peddlers.

Representational Image | File Image

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday conducted raids at several locations in Delhi and the National Capital Region, including Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, reported news agency ANI. The federal probe agency conducted the raids to dismantle the emerging nexus between terrorists, gangsters, and drug smugglers based in India and abroad, reported the news agency. 

The raids come weeks after the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in coordination with the Narcotics Control Bureau and multiple state police conducted a major crackdown against drug peddlers under ‘Operation Garuda’, a report by news agency PTI had stated. Several arrests were made and huge quantities of narcotics was seized during the raid by the Central and state agencies.

On September 29, the federal probe agency said that they have launched a multi phase 'Operation Garuda' to disrupt, degrade and dismantle drug networks with international linkages through rapid exchange of criminal intelligence on drug trafficking and coordinated law enforcement actions across international jurisdiction through Interpol. 

National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids at multiple locations in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi-NCR region today to dismantle the emerging nexus between terrorists, gangsters and drug smugglers/traffickers based in India and abroad. pic.twitter.com/EbzSoxFjNZ

— ANI (@ANI) October 18, 2022

Last month, the NIA also conducted raids and searches at residences and offices of Popular Front of India workers across 15 states and arrested over 100 people for allegedly funding terror activities in the country. 

Searches were carried out at 93 locations in 15 states -- Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, West Bengal, Bihar and Manipur.

A total of 106 PFI workers and leaders were arrested for allegedly supporting terror activities in the country. NIA arrested 45 of the 106 people in 5 cases.

The maximum number of arrests were made in Kerala (19) followed by Karnataka (7), Tamil Nadu (11), Andhra Pradesh (4), Rajasthan (2) and one each from Telangana and Uttar Pradesh. Sixty-one other PFI cadres were arrested by ED and state police.