NIA raids in 6 states regarding gangster-terrorist connection: Searches at more than 100 locations including Rajasthan

The NIA on Wednesday raided more than 100 locations in 6 states across the country. This action is going on in the case of the nexus of terrorist-gangster and drug smugglers. Around 200 officers are conducting raids on suspects' premises along with local police in Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Madhya Pradesh.
According to media reports, NIA has raided 65 places in Punjab and Chandigarh. At the same time, NIA is conducting raids at 3 places in Uttar Pradesh, 18 places in Rajasthan, and 2 places in Madhya Pradesh. This is the second major search operation by NIA in the last three days. Earlier, NIA had investigated terror funding in Jammu and Kashmir.
The raids are being conducted by the NIA in connection with three separate cases registered last year. The agency arrested Deepak Ranga on January 25 this year. Deepak was the main accused in the May 2022 attack on the Intelligence Headquarters of Punjab Police in Mohali.
Apart from the attack on Intelligence Headquarters, Deepak has also been involved in several other terrorist and criminal cases. He also had links with terrorists sitting abroad. He has also been a close associate of Canada-based gangster-turned-terrorist Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias Landa and Pakistan-based terrorist Harvinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda.
The probe agency has come to know that terrorist organizations based abroad are working closely with leaders and members of organized criminal gangs to carry out murders and violent incidents in the northern states of the country. Then the NIA itself registered the case on 20 September 2022.
It was also revealed that the terrorist-gangster-drug smuggler's network was engaged in cross-border smuggling of terrorist hardware, such as arms, ammunition explosives, IEDs, etc., through gun runners, illegal arms, and ammunition makers. The NIA has already arrested 19 people and members of various gangs, two arms suppliers, and a major financier associated with the network in this regard.