Targeting the gangs-terror nexus, NIA conducts several raids throughout northern India

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday conducted raids at numerous locations in several states in northern India as part of an ongoing investigation into gangs and their connections to terrorist organisations, according to sources.

To deconstruct and disrupt the increasing connection between terrorists, gangsters, drug smugglers, and traffickers with bases in India and overseas, operations were carried out in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, and the National Capital Region (NCR). A source with knowledge of the matter said that on the basis of certain inputs, separate NIA teams conducted these raids at several gangsters’ sites concurrently in collaboration with state police forces.

Similar searches were carried out by the NIA in 50 places around Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, and the NCR region on September 12.

The NIA sweep came after the anti-terror agency began looking into this connection after the re-registration of two cases that had previously been filed by the Delhi Police on August 26 of this year. Some of the most notorious gang leaders and their associates, both in India and abroad, who are planning and carrying out such criminal and terrorist acts have been apprehended.

“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 showed that these illegal activities were part of a widespread conspiracy involving terrorists, criminals, and drug trafficking networks and cartels that operated from both inside and outside the nation.

The NIA said when it first carried out a mega raid against such gangs “many gang leaders and members had fled from India and were now operating from foreign countries, including Pakistan, Canada, Malaysia, and Australia.”

According to the NIA, investigations currently being conducted by the agency into cases like the murder of Shaurya Chakra Awardee Comrade Balwinder Singh in Punjab have shown that the majority of these conspiracies were hatched inside prisons in various states and were carried out by an organised network of operatives based abroad.

“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.”

The NIA searched 50 locations during raids last month to dismantle these transnational terror and crime networks, including those in the Punjabi districts of Fazilka, Fairdkot, Mukhtsar Sahab, Moga, Taran Taaran, Amritsar, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, and Mohali; the Haryanai districts of East Gurugram, Bhiwani, Yamuna Nagar, Sonepat, and Jhajjar; and Rajasthan.

The NIA then conducted a search of the homes of Goldy Brar (Canada), Lawrence Bishnoi, Jaggu Bhagwanpuria, Varinder Pratap alias Kala Rana, Kala Jathedi, Vikram Brar, Gaurav Patyal alias Lucky Patyal (previously detained in Armenia), Neeraj Bawana, Koushal Chaudhary, Tillu Tajpuria, Amit Dagar, Deepak Kumar alias Tinu.