Pakistan-Canada based terrorists behind targeted killings in India, reveals NIA probe

New Delhi, Nov 29 (IANS) Sleuths of the National Investigation Agency (NIA), who on Tuesday conducted raids at more than 13 locations belonging to gangsters across the country in connection with the terrorist-gangster nexus case, have recovered a number of incriminating documents along with various types of contraband and ammunition.

According to information, the NIA raided more than 13 locations in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, UT Chandigarh and the Delhi-NCR region.

The districts targeted were Fazilka, Tarn Taran, Ludhiana, Sangrur, Mohali in Punjab, Yamunanagar of Haryana, Sikar in Rajasthan and the Outer North District of Delhi.

"We conducted raids to dismantle and disrupt the emerging nexus between terrorists, gangsters and drug traffickers based in India and abroad," said a NIA official.

This was the third round of raids and searches by the NIA on organised criminal syndicates and networks, top gangsters, their criminal and business associates based in Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan and arms suppliers based in Rajasthan and Delhi.

Other gangsters whose houses were raided included Kaushal Chaudhary of Gurugram-Rajasthan, Vishal Maan of Prahalpur-Delhi, Binny Gurjar of Sangrur-Punjab, Ravi Rajgarh of Ludhiana-Punjab and their associates.

The NIA said that it will continue to dismantle such terror networks as well as their funding and support infrastructure. The official said that preliminary investigations revealed that these gangs were carrying out targeted killings and were also raising funds for their criminal activities through smuggling of drugs and weapons.

"The recent sensational crimes and extortion calls by criminal syndicates and gangsters to businessmen, professionals, including doctors etc, had created widespread scare among the people. These gangs were using cyber space to publicise these crimes to create terror among the public at large," the NIA said.

The NIA has also learnt during the investigation that such criminal acts were not isolated local incidents but there was a deep rooted conspiracy amongst terrorists, gangsters and drug smuggling cartels and networks, who were operating from both within and outside the country. Many gang leaders and members had fled from India and are operating from foreign countries, including Pakistan, Canada, Malaysia, Australia. Most of these conspiracies were being hatched from inside the jails in different states and were being executed by an organized network of operatives based abroad.