Gangsters-terrorist nexus case: NIA raids 52 places in northern India's 4 states, one UT

New Delhi [India], October 18 : In a second such mega operation conducted within a span of 36 days to dismantle and disrupt the emerging nexus between terrorists, gangsters and drug smugglers based in India and abroad, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday morning carried out searches at 52 locations across north India's four states and Union Territory of Delhi.
The anti-terror agency conducted searches in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi, and the National Capital Region (NCR), said the NIA.
The locations raided by the NIA included Abohar, Bhatinda, Muktsar Sahab, Moga, Ludhiana, Chandigarh and 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; Noida, Bulanshehar and Sonbhadra districts as well as Dwarka, Outer North, Central, Outer and North East districts of Delhi and NCR.
Searches were conducted in the morning at the premises of Sampat Nehra of Churu-Rajasthan; Naresh Sethi (notorious gangster-criminal) of Jhajjar in Haryana; Surender alias Cheeku of Narnaul in Haryana; Naveen alias Bali of Bawana in Delhi; Amit alias Dabang of Tajpur in Outer Delhi; Amit Dagar of Gurugram in Haryana; Sandeep alias Bandar, Salim alias Pistol of North-East Delhi; Qurban and Rizwan Khurja of Bulandshahr in UP and their associates.
During the searches, five pistols and revolvers were seized, along with ammunition, which includes a cache of four pistols from the house of Asif Khan, an advocate, a residence of Gautam Vihar, Usmanpur in North East Delhi, said the agency, adding "he was connected with various gangsters of Haryana and Delhi".
"Few weapons in semi-knocked down condition have also been recovered during these raids," said the NIA.
Apart from these, incriminating documents, digital devices, details about benami property created through proceeds of crime, cash, gold bars and gold jewellery from Khurja, Bulandshahar (UP), and threat letters were also seized by the NIA.
The Central agency said that these raids were carried out to "dismantle and disrupt the emerging nexus between terrorists, gangsters and drug smugglers/traffickers based in India and abroad".
"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 in two cases registered by the NIA in August this year," said the NIA.
This was the second round of raids and searches conducted by the NIA as part of its crackdown on top gangsters, their criminal and business associates based in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan and arms suppliers based in UP, Rajasthan and Delhi.
On September 12, the NIA had also searched 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 Central agency said that it targeted "associates involved in illegal liquor supply mafia were also targeted in today's raids, including Rajesh alias Raju Mota, resident of Basodi village in Sonepat, Haryana".
"Further investigations will continue to dismantle such terror networks as well as their funding and support infrastructure."
The NIA said its preliminary investigations have revealed that "these gangs were carrying out targeted killings and were also raising funds to carry out such criminal activities through smuggling of drugs and weapons".
"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. These gangs were using cyber-space to publicise these crimes to create terror among the public at large," said the agency.
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," the NIA said.
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 Jails of different states and were being executed by organized network of operatives based in abroad, the NIA revealed.