'Operation Dhvast': NIA Raids in Over 120 Locations Across 7 states in Gangsters-Terror Nexus Cases

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday carried out extensive searches at over 120 locations across six states — Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Madhya Pradesh — as part of ‘Operation Dhvast’. These searches are part of investigations into cases involving the nexus between terrorists, narcotics smugglers, and gangsters.

According to NIA, these raids are related to follow up operations of earlier investigations. The raids were done against gangsters like Rinda, Landa, Arsh Dalla, Lawrence Bishnoi, Bambiha gangs.

The raids were done in close collaboration with state police forces early in the morning at various premises and other locations connected to the suspects. The search operations are currently ongoing.

These raids are related to three separate cases registered by the NIA last year under the references RC 37, 38, and 39/2022/NIA/DLI.

Earlier this year, on January 25, the agency apprehended Deepak Ranga, the main shooter involved in the RPG attack on the Punjab Police Intelligence Headquarters in Mohali in May 2022. Deepak Ranga was arrested from Gorakhpur, Uttar Pradesh, as he had close associations with Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias Landa, a gangster-turned-terrorist based in Canada, and Harvinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda, a gangster-turned-terrorist based in Pakistan. His arrest was made in connection with case RC-37/2022/NIA/DLI.

In addition to his involvement in the RPG attack in May, Deepak has been implicated in numerous other acts of violent terrorism and criminal offenses, including brutal killings. He has actively received financial support and logistical assistance from Rinda and Landa, furthering his terrorist activities.

The NIA took suo moto action and registered the case on September 20, 2022, upon discovering that foreign-based terrorist organizations and elements were collaborating with leaders and members of organized criminal gangs in the northern states of India. Their collaboration aimed at carrying out targeted assassinations and other violent criminal acts. Additionally, it was revealed that this network of terrorists, gangsters, and drug smugglers was involved in cross-border smuggling of terrorist equipment, such as arms, ammunition, explosives, and IEDs, facilitated by a vast inter-state network of illegal firearms suppliers, ammunition manufacturers, gunrunners, and explosive traffickers.

Since the registration of the three criminal cases against this network of terrorists, gangsters, and drug smugglers, the NIA has already apprehended 19 leaders and members of various organized criminal gangs, along with two arms suppliers and a major financier associated with the network. Furthermore, on January 9 of this year, Arsh Dalla, based in Canada, was designated as an “individual terrorist” by the Ministry of Home Affairs.