New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has detained a man, named Jones alias Jora, a close aide of the listed terrorist Arshdeep Dalla, from Punjab's Ferozepur, as raids are underway at over 51 locations in six states.
An NIA team has also reached the house of one Yadvinder, alias Jashanpreet in Delhi. It is said that there were suspect transactions in his bank accounts made from abroad. He is being questioned in this regard.
The raids are being carried out at the premises belonging to associates of Lawrence Bishnoi, Bambiha, and Arshdeep Dalla gangs. The raids are based on three separate cases. Two cases were lodged in 2022, while another was lodged this year.
The searches are being conducted at 13 locations in Rajasthan, 30 places in Punjab, 10 in Haryana, two in Delhi, and in UP as well.
Sources have said that Dalla, a listed terrorist, is reportedly operating the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF). He is managing the supply of drugs and weapons into India from Pakistan. He is also assisting his aides in carrying out anti-national activities in India.
Dalla has a vast network that he runs both within and outside India. Although his aides are behind bars, they are still involved in extortion. The money obtained from extortion is either funneled abroad or used to purchase weapons, IEDs, and drugs from Pakistan.
The sources also said that Sunny Dagar, Jagseer Singh, Harpreet Sharma are some of the associates who go to Pakistan and collect weapons. A close aide of gangster Neeraj Dabas, who now also has links with Kaushal Chadhury, Sunny Dagar, has been given the responsibility not only to acquire weapons but also to extort money through social media platforms.
The associates of Dalla, who live in India, are being paid through Money Transfer Service Schemes. The responsibility of ensuring payments to his Indian associates has been given to one Sukhpreet Singh. Dalla's syndicate also has a strong presence abroad.
From Canada, the US, Dubai and Thailand, Dalla has several associates who are giving directions, disseminating funds, promoting anti-national agendas, and hatching sinister conspiracies against India, said sources.
According to the sources, the foreign associates of Dalla have been identified as Lucky Patial (the one who is running the Bambiha gang), Sukhdool Singh (the one who arranges logistics), Daler Singh Kotia (the one who remains in touch with gangsters), Gurpinder Singh (brother of Dalla), Dinesh Sharma (resident of Gurugram but now based in Dubai, looks after financing), Neeraj alias Pandit, who is based in Thailand.
It has now also been confirmed that Arshdeep Dalla has been involved in targeted killings and attacks on the Punjab Police intelligence headquarters in Mohali. He has also been in contact with other dreaded gangsters Lakhwinder Singh Landa and Harwinder Singh Rinda, who have also been described as terrorists by NIA.
While within India, extortion activities are carried out by gangsters like Naveen Dabas, Amit Dagar, Kaushal Chadhury, Chotu Batth, Asif Khan, Jagseer Singh, and the Tillu Tajpuriya gangs, the sources added.
The raids started early Wednesday morning and are currently ongoing.
As of now, the NIA has not officially commented on the matter.
Further details are awaited.
—IANS