The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on early Tuesday carried out searches at multiple locations in various states across northern India in an ongoing case against gangs and their nexus with terror groups, sources said.
The raids were conducted in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) to dismantle and disrupt the emerging nexus between terrorists, gangsters, drug smugglers and traffickers based in India and abroad. Separate teams of NIA in coordination with state police forces conducted these raids simultaneously at certain locations of the gangsters based on some specific inputs, a source privy to the development.
On September 12, the NIA had conducted similar searches at 50 locations in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi and NCR region.
The NIA crackdown followed the launch of investigations against this nexus by the anti-terror agency after the re-registration of two cases, earlier registered by Delhi Police, on August 26 this year. A few of the most desperate gang leaders and their associates based in India and abroad, who are spearheading and carrying out such terror and criminal activities were identified and booked.
“The recent sensational crimes and extortion calls by criminal syndicates and gangsters to businessmen, professionals including doctors etc., had created a widespread scare among the people,” the NIA had said earlier.
“These gangs were using cyber-space to publicise these crimes to create terror among the public at large.”
The NIA investigations also revealed that such criminal acts were not isolated local incidents but there was a deep-rooted conspiracy amongst terrorists, gangsters and drug smuggling cartels and networks, who were operating from both within and outside the country.
“Many gang leaders and members had fled from India and were now operating from foreign countries, including Pakistan, Canada, Malaysia and Australia,” said the NIA when it first time carried out a mega raid against such gangs.
Ongoing probes by the NIA in cases being investigated by the Agency, such as the killing of Shaurya Chakra Awardee Comrade Balwinder Singh in Punjab also revealed that most of these conspiracies were being hatched from inside Jails of different States and were being executed by organized network of operatives based in abroad, the NIA has said
“Preliminary Investigations have revealed that these gangs were carrying out targeted killings, including those of prominent people, to terrorise the general public to extort money for running and promoting their criminal syndicates and activities. These gangs were also raising funds to carry out such criminal activities through smuggling of drugs and weapons.”
In raids conducted last month to dismantle these transnational terror and crime networks, the NIA had conducted searches at 50 locations in Fazilka, Fairdkot, Mukhtsar Sahab, Moga, Taran Taaran, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Mohali Districts of Punjab, East Gurugram, Bhiwani, Yamuna Nagar, Sonepat and Jhajjar districts of Haryana, Hanumangarh and Ganganagar districts of Rajasthan and Dwarka, Outer North, North West, North East and Shahdara Districts of Delhi/ NCR.
The NIA then searched the premises of Goldy Brar (Canada), Lawrence Bishnoi, Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, Varinder Pratap alias Kala Rana, Kala Jathedi, Vikram Brar, Gaurav Patyal alias Lucky Patyal (who was earlier arrested in Armenia), Neeraj Bawana, Koushal Chaudhary, Tillu Tajpuria, Amit Dagar, Deepak Kumar alias Tinu, Sandeep alias Bandar, Umesh alias Kala, Irfan alias Cheenu Pahalwan, Ashim alias Hashim Baba, Sachin Bhanja and their associates.
During the searches then, the NIA seized six Pistols, one revolver, one shotgun along with ammunition. Besides, drugs, cash, incriminating documents, digital devices, details of benami property and threat letters were also seized by the NIA in the operation conducted last month.
