On Thursday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) raided 32 locations in Delhi, Haryana, and Punjab in a decisive move to disrupt the intricate web of the terrorist-gangster-drug smuggler nexus. The anti-terror agency, in close collaboration with state police forces, targeted key areas such as Jhajjar and Sonipat in Haryana.
The focus of the operation was on individuals associated with the notorious gangster Lawrence Bishnoi’s organized terror-crime syndicate. This strategic move follows the recent attachment of four properties owned by Bishnoi on January 6 by the NIA, three of which were immovable, and one movable.
The attached properties were deemed ‘proceeds of terrorism’ by the NIA, utilized for hatching terror conspiracies and executing serious crimes. Among the seized assets were a property in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, belonging to Vikas Singh, a harborer of the terror gang, and two properties in Fazilka, Punjab, owned by accused Dalip Kumar alias Bhola.
Furthermore, the NIA seized a Fortuner car registered in the name of Joginder Singh, a resident of Yamunanagar in Haryana. Investigations revealed that Joginder Singh, the father of gangster Kala Rana, facilitated the transportation of arms and ammunition for terrorist activities, using his vehicle.
Vikas Singh, identified as an associate of Lawrence Bishnoi, was implicated in harbouring terrorists involved in a Rocket-Propelled Grenade (RPG) attack on the Punjab Police Headquarters. Meanwhile, the property owned by Dalip Kumar served as a shelter and warehouse for storing weapons and harbouring gang members.
The NIA registered a case against Lawrence Bishnoi’s organized crime syndicate in August 2022. The agency’s investigations unveiled the syndicate’s widespread criminal networks across various states, responsible for sensational crimes, including the murders of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala and religious leaders.
Moreover, the NIA discovered that many of these terror conspiracies were orchestrated from abroad, involving leaders from countries such as Pakistan and Canada or those operating from prisons in India. As part of its ongoing efforts to disrupt and dismantle these networks, the NIA has adopted targeted strategies, including the attachment and seizure of properties derived from the ‘proceeds of terrorism.’