Terrorist-gangster nexus case: NIA searches 30 places in 4 states, recover incriminating material

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday carried out searches in four states and a Union Territory as part of its probe into the terrorist-gangster nexus case, an official said.

Extensive searches were carried out at 30 locations in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and the UT of Chandigarh in connection with the case relating to individual designated terrorist Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dala and other suspects of the banned Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), a spokesperson of the federal agency said.

The official said the premises raided during the day were linked to various suspected associates of Dala, as well as Baljeet Maur and Australia-based Gurjant Singh, leading to the recovery of incriminating material including digital devices.

The case, registered on February 13, relates to nefarious criminal activities of the KTF and other terror outfits, including smuggling of dangerous hardware, such as arms, ammunition, explosives, improvised explosive devices and narcotics across international borders.

According to NIA investigations, the smuggled items were meant for use by the operatives of terror outfits and organised criminal gangs operating in various parts of the country for carrying out various terrorist acts, such as extortions to raise funds for KTF, targeted killings, recruitment of vulnerable youth, smuggling of arms and narcotics to India.

The investigations have further revealed that Dala, Maur and Singh had conspired to carry out such activities for furthering their terror agenda, the spokesperson said.

The NIA said the suspects whose premises were raided had been working for these three men to promote violent criminal activities, and had been involved in smuggling weapons from Pakistan and recruitment of youth to carry out acts of violence and terror in the country at the behest of the KTF. "These associates were also part of an extortion racket for raising funds for the banned outfit. They used to identify extortion targets, including businessmen, and then threaten them into parting with huge amounts," the spokesperson said. An NIA spokesperson had earlier said that as part of its efforts to disrupt and dismantle such terror and mafia networks and their support infrastructure, the agency has adopted several targeted strategies in recent months, including attachment and seizure of properties derived from ''proceeds of terrorism''.

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