New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday conducted a massive multi-state crackdown on a nexus of terrorists, gangsters, and drug smugglers. Several suspects were detained during the raids related to cases against ‘listed terrorist’ Arsh Dalla and many dreaded gangsters, a spokesperson of the federal agency said.
The daylong raids were carried out at 53 locations in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and the union territories of Delhi and Chandigarh, PTI reported citing the spokesperson of the federal agency.
According to the official, pistols, ammunition, a large number of digital devices and incriminating material were seized during the raids.
The action focused on weapon suppliers, financiers and logistics providers associated with various hardcore gangs working with drug-smugglers and terror outfits based in Pakistan, the UAE, Canada, Portugal and other countries, he said.
The spokesperson said that besides 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.
The operation saw raids conducted in various locations, including Amritsar, Moga, Fazilka , Ludhiana, Mohali, Faridkot, Barnala, Bhatinda, Ferozepur, SAS Naga and Jalandhar districts of Punjab; Rohtak, Sirsa, Fatehabad and Faridabad districts of Haryana; Sri Ganganagar, Jhunjhunu, Hanumangarh and Jodhpur districts of Rajasthan; Gorakhpur in Uttar Pradesh; Dehradun and Udhamsingh Nagar districts of Uttarakhand.
Raids were also carried out in the southeast district of Delhi-NCR and Chandigarh, he said.
The raids 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 registered against organised criminal gangs in July this year.
The cases relate to conspiracies of targeted killings, terror funding of pro-Khalistan outfits and extortion by gangsters many of whom are lodged in jails or are operating from various foreign countries, the spokesperson said.
According to NIA findings, these conspiracies were being hatched in jails in various states and were being executed by an organised network of foreign-based operatives.
“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,” the central probe agency said.
The official said many of the criminals and gangsters who were earlier leading gangs in India have fled abroad in recent years and are now carrying out terror and violence-related activities from there.
"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 spokesperson said.
The official added that the spotlight on these gangs got sharper after reports of several prisons becoming havens of the deadly nexus and hubs of gang wars which recently resulted in violence and murder inside Goindwal Jail.