The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday conducted searches at as many as 50 locations in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Delhi/NCR “to dismantle and disrupt the emerging nexus between terrorists, gangsters and drug smugglers/traffickers based in India and abroad”. Some of those raided were also allegedly involved in the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala.
The NIA crackdown followed the launch of an investigation against this nexus by the agency after the re-registration of two cases, earlier registered by the Delhi Police on August 26.
The NIA is probing the alleged involvement of gangs in Punjab in smuggling drugs from Pakistan and the money later being pumped into terror-related activities.
The case of Moosewala’s murder is being probed by the Punjab and Delhi Police and 23 persons have been arrested in this connection so far.
Moosewala was killed in Mansa on May 29 when he along with his friend and cousin was traveling in a jeep to Jawahar Ke village. A day earlier, the Punjab Police had pruned his security cover on a temporary basis. Goldy Brar, who is a member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, had claimed the responsibility for the murder.
Bishnoi is facing nearly 60 cases, including murders, attempts to murder and extortion. He is suspected of running his crime syndicate from behind bars.
Last week, Delhi Police’s Special Cell also nabbed three sharpshooters of the Bishnoi and Brar gangs after an encounter in Delhi’s Rohini area. Police said the arrested trio was in direct contact with Brar in Canada through the Signal app regularly for the past many days.
“Through his undisclosed sources, Goldy Brar has arranged money, shelter and weapons for them for eliminating a target, which is to be disclosed to them on the day of execution only,” the police said after their arrest.
“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 NIA said in a statement.
In its ongoing efforts to dismantle these transnational terror and crime networks, the NIA conducted searches at 50 locations in Fazilka, Fairdkot, Mukhtsar Sahab, Moga, Taran Taaran, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Chandigarh and Mohali districts of Punjab, East Gurugram, Bhiwani, Yamuna Nagar, Sonepat and Jhajjar in Haryana, Hanumangarh and Ganganagar districts of Rajasthan and Dwarka, Outer North, North West, North East and Shahdara Districts of Delhi/ NCR.
Besides Bishnoi and Brar, the agency conducted searches at the premises of notorious gangsters 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, it said.
During the searches, six pistols, one revolver and a shotgun were seized, along with ammunition. Besides these, drugs, cash, incriminating documents, digital devices, details of Benami property and threat letters among others were also seized by the NIA.
“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. These gangs were using cyber-space to publicise these crimes to create terror among the public at large,” the agency said.
The NIA investigation further 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.
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 an organized network of operatives based abroad.
Preliminary investigation has 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 the smuggling of drugs and weapons. Further investigation will continue to dismantle these terror networks as well as their funding and support infrastructure, the agency added.