The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday detained several suspects during a multi-state crackdown on the alleged nexus between criminal syndicates in India and Khalistani separatists and militants based in countries such as Canada and Pakistan, the federal agency said.

The NIA raids and focus on the links with Canada-based criminal syndicates came amid an escalating diplomatic stand-off between India and Canada over Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s linking of Indian government agents to the assassination of Khalistani extremist Hardeep Singh Nijjar on Canadian soil in June.

The agency on Wednesday raided over 50 locations during the day-long operation. According to an NIA statement, pistols, ammunition, digital devices and incriminating material were seized during the raids that covered Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Chandigarh.

The agency said the raids were aimed at dismantling the terror-gangster-drug smuggler nexus by focusing on weapon suppliers, financiers and logistics providers associated with gangs and their operatives. These gangs collaborate with drug smugglers and militants based in Canada, Pakistan, UAE and Portugal.

According to an official, Canada-based militant Arsh Dalla and his aides were in touch with drug smugglers and gangsters in India and were instrumental in smuggling weapons, extortion and also taking part in other anti-national activities.

“Many of the criminals and gangsters who were earlier leading gangs in India have fled abroad in recent years and are now pursuing their terror and violence-related activities from there, as per investigations,” the NIA said in the statement.

The criminals have been engaged in planning and commissioning serious crimes, including contract and revenge killings, in association with criminals lodged in jails across India. These groups have been carrying out targeted killings and raising funds for attacks and other nefarious activities through smuggling of drugs and weapons, hawala and extortions, the agency said.

Since August last year, the NIA has registered five cases relating to conspiracies involving targeted killings, terror funding for Khalistani outfits, and extortion
which was carried out by gangsters, many of whom are incarcerated in various jails in
India or operating from foreign countries such as Pakistan, Canada, Portugal and Australia.

Last week, the NIA confiscated a plot of land and parts of a house belonging to Canada-based “designated individual terrorist” Gurpatwant Singh Pannu in Amritsar and Chandigarh, respectively, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Pannu is the “general counsel” for the outlawed Sikhs for Justice, a North America-based organisation accused of secessionist activities in Punjab.