Terrorist-gangster-smuggler nexus: NIA raids 51 places across 6 states in 3 cases

NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency on Wednesday is conducting major raids across 6 states in 3 cases at 51 locations belonging to associates of Lawrence, Bambiha and Arsh Dalla Gangs.

In the early hours of Wednesday, NIA conducted a swift raid on the house of a liquor contractor in the village Takhtupura of Moga district in Punjab.

Gangster Arsh Dala had demanded ransom from this contractor and this contractor had given some part of the ransom to Arsh Dala. In this regard, NIA is conducting an inquiry, sources said. The NIA also raided a gun house in the Bajpur police station area of ​​Udham Singh Nagar, Uttarakhand.

NIA has raided another house in the Clementown police station area of ​​Dehradun district of Uttarakhand.

According to the information received from Dehradun Police, the NIA team is conducting raids since this morning. According to the information received from the state police, the NIA team is checking the weapons in the gun house.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had also issued details of 43 individuals associated with the terror gangster network having links to Canada. The NIA further asked the public to share details of their properties and assets which can be taken over by the central government.

The NIA also requested to share details about the properties/assets/businesses owned by them in their own name or in the name of their associates, friends and relatives. It has also asked to share details of their business partners, workers, employees and collection agents. The NIA in its post issued pictures of Lawrence Bishnoi, Jasdeep Singh, Kala Jatheri alias Sandeep, Virender Pratap alias Kala Rana and Joginder Singh along with their names. It highlighted that many of these gangsters are based in Canada.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had earlier confiscated properties owned by designated Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun in Chandigarh and Amritsar under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. A property confiscation notice was seen pasted outside Pannun's residence at Sector 15 in Chandigarh.

Earlier on September 21 the agency had conducted raids at more than 1000 locations in Punjab and Haryana associated with fugitive gangster Goldy Brar. Punjab police officers along with the NIA had carried out the operation. Goldy Brar is among the most wanted gangsters named by the NIA. He is also suspected to be behind the recent killing of another gangster Sukha Dunike who was shot dead in the Canadian city of Winnipeg.

Several of these wanted gangsters are said to be operating out of Canada, with close links between Khalistan sympathisers and gangsters. In 2018, during Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's visit to Amritsar, India had handed him over a list of nine Khalistani operatives said to be in Canada.