New Delhi: An investigation carried out by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against gangsters has revealed that Indian gang leaders and members have been operating from foreign countries, including Pakistan, Canada, Malaysia, and Australia after they escaped from the clutches of the law enforcing agencies.
The NIA on Tuesday carried out nationwide raids at over 50 locations in Punjab, Haryana, UP, Rajasthan, and Delhi & NCR region to dismantle and disrupt the emerging nexus between terrorists, gangsters, drug smugglers, and traffickers based in India and abroad. During the searches, five pistols and revolvers have been seized, along with ammunition, which includes a cache of four Pistols from the house of Asif Khan, an advocate based in Gautam Vihar in North East Delhi.
A senior NIA official said that Khan was connected with various gangsters in Haryana and Delhi. “Few weapons in semi-knocked down condition have also been recovered. A few incriminating documents, digital devices, details about Benami property created through proceeds of crime, cash, gold bars and gold jewelry from Khurja in Bulandshahar, threat letters, etc. have also been seized,” the NIA official said.
This was the second round of raids and searches and a part of the NIA crackdown on top gangsters, their criminal and business associates based in Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, as well as arms suppliers based in UP, Rajasthan, and Delhi. The associates of gangsters involved in the illegal liquor supply mafia were also targeted in today’s raids, including Rajesh alias Raju Mota of Sonepat in Haryana, the official said.
The NIA conducted searches at 52 locations in Abohar, Bhatinda, Muktsar Sahab, Moga, Ludhiana, Chandigarh, Mohali Districts of Punjab; East Gurugram, Bhiwani, Yamuna Nagar, Sonepat, Mahendragarh, Manesar, Rewari, Rohtak and Jhajjar districts of Haryana; Churu, Bharatpur, and Alwar districts of Rajasthan, and Noida, Bulansheharand Sonbhadra district and Dwarka, Outer North, Central, Outer, and North East Districts of Delhi and NCR.
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“Searches were conducted today morning at the houses and premises of Sampat Nehra of Churu-Rajasthan, Naresh Sethi (notorious gangster-criminal of Jhajjar-Haryana), Surender alias Cheeku of Narnaul-Haryana, Naveen alias Bali of Bawana-Delhi, Amit alias Dabang of Tajpur-Outer Delhi, Amit Dagar of Gurugram-Haryana, Sandeep alias Bandar, Salim alias Pistol of North-East Delhi, Qurban and Rizwan Khurja of Bulandshahr-UP and their associates.
The NIA investigations also revealed that such criminal acts were not isolated local incidents, but had a deep-rooted conspiracy amongst terrorists, gangsters, and drug smuggling cartels and networks, who were operating from both within and outside the country. “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 the jails of different states and were being executed by an organized network of operatives based in abroad,” the official said.
Moreover, the agency also conducted raids at three different locations in Patna in the case related to the arrest of Margub Ahmad Danish alias Tahir who was involved in anti-national activities and radicalization of impressionable youth over social media. The case was initially registered as FIR No. 840/2022 on July 17 at PS Phulwarisharif of Patna which was re-registered by NIA on July 22.
“Investigations revealed that accused Margub Ahmad Danish was a self-radicalized individual and was in contact with a number of foreign entities on the WhatsApp group “Ghazwa-e-Hind” created by him. In this group, terrorist acts and activities in Kashmir were being glorified with the view to radicalize impressionable youth,” a senior NIA official said adding “He had also created another WhatsApp group in the name of Ghazwa-e-Hind BD and was propagating conquest of India through violence.” During the searches conducted during the day at the premises of the accused and suspects, incriminating materials, including digital devices and documents have been seized.
Further investigations will continue to dismantle such terror networks as well as their funding and support infrastructure. Preliminary investigations have revealed that these gangs were carrying out targeted killings and were also raising funds to carry out such criminal activities through the smuggling of drugs and weapons, the NIA official said.
