Associates of Lawrence Bishonoi Gang among 6 arrested by NIA during its nation-wide raids

Following the recent raids by National Investigation Agency at 76 locations across eight states to bust known terrorist-gangster-drug smuggling nexus, the probe agency has arrested six people including Lucky Khokkar alias Denia, who is a close associate of Canada-based designated terrorist Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dalla. Others who were arrested in the raids, which were carried out in Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, UP, Delhi, NCR, Maharashtra, and Madhya Pradesh, include associates of Gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and Goldy Brar. 

NIA said that Khokhar, a resident of Bhatinda Punjab, who was nabbed from Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan on Tuesday, February 21 was in direct and frequent contact with Arsh Dalla in Canada, and had carried out recruitment for him and received funds from him for carrying out terror-related activities.

According to the probe agency, Khokhar had provided arms and ammunition to Arsh Dalla’s associates in Punjab which were also used for carrying out the recent killing in Jagraon and Punjab. 

NIA had registered a suo-moto case on August 20 last year against seven people, including Harwinder Singh alias Rinda, Lakhbir Singh Sandhu alias Landa, and Arshdeep Singh alias Arsh Dalla. One person named as Deepak Ranga was earlier arrested in the case by the agency. 

According to an NIA spokesperson, Khokhar was working for Dalla who has been involved in smuggling arms, ammunition, explosives, IEDS etc. across International and Inter-State borders in India for several Khalistani terror outfits including the Khalistan Liberation Force, Babbar Khalsa International and International Sikh Youth Federation.

Besides Khokhar, the investigation agency also arrested Lakhbir Singh from Muktsar, Harpreet from Punjab's Moga, Dalip Bishnoi from Fazilka district in Punjba, Surinder alias Chiku Chaudhary from Mahendragarh district in Haryana and Hari Om alias Titu from Gurugram. NIA revealed that while Titu was arrested on Tuesday, Lakhvir Singh was nabbed a day later in connection with a case registered against them and their associates in August last for allegedly attempting to motivate and recruit youth for terror activities by using social media. They were also using social media to ‘publicize’ their crimes in a bid to create fear among the general public. 

Arms and Ammunition recovered

Nine weapons were recovered from Lakhbir’s possession. NIA said that he is a notorious criminal and an associate of Chhotu Ram Bhaat, who was earlier arrested in the gangster terror funding case. NIA has so far arrested nine accused, including Kaushal Choudhary, Amit Dagar, Sukhpreet Singh, Bhupi Rana, Neeraj Bawana, Naveen Bali and Sunil Balyan, in this case.

According to the spokesperson, Surender Chaudhrary and Dalip Bishnoi are known associates of gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Jaggu Bhagwanpuria and Canada-based criminal goldy Brar. They were arrested for raising funds, recruiting youth and carrying out terrorist acts on behalf of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. 

The NIA investigations have so far revealed that many criminals who were gangsters in India had fled to countries like Pakistan, Canada, Malaysia, Philippines and Australia and were planning their terror and criminal acts from there, in association with criminals lodged in jails in different states in India. Gangster terror funding groups were carrying out targeted killings and raising funds for their nefarious activities through the smuggling of drugs and weapons, Hawala and Extortion, NIA added. 

Notably, further investigations are on to dismantle such terror networks and their funding and support infrastructure.