Mumbai: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has attached three properties owned by members of Organised Crime Syndicates in Haryana and Delhi following multi-state raids across 129 locations as part of its continuing offensive against the terrorist-gangster-drug smuggler network, having links with ‘listed individual terrorist’ Arsh Dala and other foreign-based terrorists.
The raids were conducted at locations linked with gangsters and their associates in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Delhi/ NCR on May 17, 2023.
Properties used for hatching terror conspiracies
The properties attached include a house of Irfan @ Chhenu Pehalwan in Delhi and two houses belonging to Kaushal Chaudhary and Amit Dagar in Gurugram district of Haryana. All these properties constituted ‘proceeds of terrorism’, which were used for hatching terror conspiracies and execution of crimes, as per NIA investigations.
Irfan @ Chhenu Pehalwan had been involved in multiple criminal cases of murder and extortion, besides being a supplier of all types of logistics support, including men and material (supply of arms and ammunitions), to the notorious Bambiha gang. He had provided a safe haven to the gang’s absconding associates on the instructions of Kaushal Chaudhary, Bhupi Rana and other key operatives of the gang to reach out to the ground level operatives for execution of terror/criminal activities.
Terrorists have a history of crime
The other two, Kaushal Choudhary and Amit Dagar, were closely associated with key conspirators - foreign-based Arshdeep Dala and Gaurab Patyal @ Sourav Thakur @ Lucky, with the help of other accused persons. Both Kaushal and Amit were involved in extortion/threatening/killing of businessmen and striking terror among singers, businessmen and sportspersons, and in arranging weapons for execution of acts of terror and violence.
They were both in touch with, and conspired with foreign-based terrorists, as well as ground operatives, through social media platforms for execution of extortion/killing terror activities. The money raised from the extortions was being utilised for furtherance of terror activities and for providing logistic support to other gangs, including Bambiha gang, active in India.
NIA vs Organised Crime Syndicates
The NIA had registered cases against three major Organised Crime Syndicates under UA(P) Act in August 2022. These syndicates were spreading their mafia style criminal networks in the northern states of India and were involved in commission of many sensational crimes, such as the murder of popular singer Sidhu Moosewala and large-scale extortions from businessmen and professionals. Their crimes included killing of Maharashtra builder Sanjay Biyani, as well Sandeep Nangal Ambia, an international Kabbadi organiser in Punjab. Many of these conspiracies were found to have been masterminded from abroad, including Pakistan and Canada, or by leaders of Organised Criminal Syndicates lodged in jails.
NIA plans to intensify its drive, in active and close collaboration with Police forces of various states, to dismantle such terror and mafia networks and their support infrastructure, and to attach and seize their assets procured from ‘proceeds of terrorism and crime’.
