NEW DELHI, Oct 18: The National Investigation Agency (NIA), the central investigating agency keeping a tab on terror modules, on Tuesday carried out searches at more than 50 locations in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi-NCR region to dismantle the emerging narco-terror and criminal mafia nexus in India and abroad.
The coordinated raids came months after the premier probe agency identified and booked gang leaders and associates based in India and abroad who were carrying out terror and criminal activities.
The NIA raids on top gangsters, their criminal and business associates, arms suppliers and illegal liquor supply mafia were carried out at 52 locations in districts including Abohar, Bathinda, Muktsar, Moga, Chandigarh, Sonepat, Bharatpur, Alwar, Bulandshahr, Noida and other parts of Delhi NCR.
Those raided include gangster Sampat Nehra of Rajasthan’s Churu, Jhajjar-based criminal Naresh Sethi, Narnaul gangster Surender, Bawana-based Bali, gangster Amit of Outer Delhi’s Tajpur, Amit Dagar of Gurugram, Salim alias Pistol of North East Delhi and others.
During the searches, the NIA recovered five pistols/revolvers. Out of these, four pistols were seized from one Asif Khan in North East Delhi. The probe agency said Khan was linked to various gangsters operating in Haryana and Delhi.
Several incriminating documents, digital devices, details about benami property created through proceeds of crime, cash, gold bars and gold jewellery from Khurja , Bulandshahar (UP), threat letters, etc. have also been seized by the NIA.
The agency said further investigations will be carried out to dismantle such terror networks and their funding infrastructure. According to preliminary investigations, the raided gangs carried out targeted killings and were raising funds to carry out such criminal activities through smuggling of drugs and weapons.
According to the agency, the gangsters had made extortion calls to businessmen, professionals including doctors. The criminal syndicates were using the internet to publicise their activities to create fear among people.
The probe has pointed to a deep-rooted conspiracy among terrorists, gangsters and drug cartels operating from India and abroad. Several gang leaders and members fled India and are now operating from Pakistan, Canada, Malaysia, Australia etc.
The agency is probing cases including the killing of Shaurya Chakra Awardee Balwinder Singh in Punjab which 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.
(Manas Dasgupta)