Crackdown on gangster-terror group nexus; NIA conducts raids

BHARATPUR: In a crackdown against gangsters and their association with terror groups, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids at Rajasthan's Bharatpur on Tuesday.

The officials searched the Kaman-hill area along with local police, as per the information.

The NIA team is led by DSP Kapil Aggarwal, accompanied by Bharatpur ASP Himmat Singh, DSP Pradeep Yadav, station in-charge of local police stations, and additional personnel.

Two separate teams are searched for illegal weapons and gangsters in Sanvaler and Moongska, as well as in the nearby forest areas.

Earlier in the day, NIA carried out searches at multiple locations in various states across northern India in an ongoing case against gangs and their nexus with terror groups.

The raids were conducted in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) to dismantle and disrupt the emerging nexus between terrorists, gangsters, drug smugglers and traffickers based in India and abroad.

They have discovered illegal arms manufacturing factories and massive quantities of illegal weapons.

The NIA raided the premises of sharpshooters belonging to Lawrence Bishnoi in Sonipat also.

Raids were conducted on the premises of infamous gangsters Raju Basodi and Akshay Palda. They have been accused of carrying out more than two dozen severe criminal incidents in North India, said the NIA.

Separate teams of NIA in coordination with state police forces conducted these raids simultaneously at certain locations of the gangsters based on some specific inputs, a source privy to the development told ANI.

On September 12, the NIA conducted similar searches at 50 locations in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi and NCR region.

The NIA crackdown followed the launch of investigations against this nexus by the anti-terror agency after the re-registration of two cases, earlier registered by Delhi Police, on August 26 this year. 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 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 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," said the NIA when it first time carried out a mega raid against such gangs.