The National Investigation Agency is raiding more than 70 locations across the country in connection with its investigation into the gangsters of Punjab and Haryana. While 30 locations are being searched in Punjab, multiple locations in Haryana, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi-NCR are also being raided by NIA officials.
“The searches are being carried out in the gangsters’ case. Other details are awaited,” an NIA spokesperson confirmed to News18.
This is the fourth round of searches that the agency is carrying out against accomplices, aides and suppliers of Lawrence Bishnoi, Neeraj Bawana, Tillu Tajpuria and other gangs.
Sources told News18 that arms suppliers are being searched in UP’s Pilibhit and Pratapgarh. “The suspicion is that these suppliers smuggle arms and ammunitions via Nepal and supply it to the gangs,” a source said.
In Punjab, the raids are being carried out in Ferozpur, Bhatinda, Moga, Fazilka, Mukhtar Sahib and Ludhiana. Cases in connection with which searches are being carried out include the Ludhiana blast case, and individual cases involving Lakhbir Singh aka Landa Harike and Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) operative Arshdeep Singh Gill alias Arsh Dalla, sources said.
The NIA is investigating the possibility of the Nepal-UP route being used by Pakistan’s ISI to supply arms to gangs in India. The NIA had booked more than 12 gangs under terror charges in August last year. After a high-level meeting chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah, a decision was taken to not treat the gangs as ordinary criminals but terror accused under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
Searches are also being carried out at Gandhidham in Gujarat. The premises of alleged Lawrence Bishnoi-aide Kulwinder Sandhu are being searched as well. Sandhu is suspected to have provided logistical help to Bishnoi. The state police had earlier investigated him for housing Bishnoi.
Originally from Ludhiana in Punjab, Sandhu is accused of being part of an organised drug syndicate which abets smuggling of narcotics from Pakistan to Gujarat to Punjab, an official said.
While most of the gang leaders are in jail, their operations continue unabated. The NIA, in its investigation so far, has aimed to seize source of funding and manpower for these gangs. At least 12 gangs and their members have been questioned by the NIA so far. The latest round of searches are based on fresh leads received after questioning the main accused, officials said.
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