The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday conducted raids at multiple locations in Punjab and Rajasthan and detained several persons for their alleged involvement in terrorist activities.

Sources said the raid was part of the ongoing probe into the attacks on the Indian consulate in San Francisco by some Khalistani entities early last year.

An official said the agency had already identified certain individuals who were part of the conspiracy behind the attacks. These include the attackers and many of their associates who are both Indian and foreign nationals.

A team of NIA officials had visited San Francisco in August last year to investigate the incidents of attacks on the consulate.

The Consulate General of India in San Francisco was attacked on March 19 last year by a group of assailants who committed criminal trespass, damaged public property and attacked officials. Prior to the attack, on the same day, some men had attempted to set the consulate building on fire by sprinkling inflammable substances early in the morning. Subsequently on July 2 at midnight, a few persons attempted to set the consulate building on fire.

The agency said extensive raids and searches were conducted on Tuesday across 14 locations in Punjab and two in Rajasthan as part of the crackdown on a terrorist-organised criminal syndicate nexus.

The raids started in the wee hours in the districts of Amritsar, Bhatinda, Moga, Sangrur and Kapurthala in Punjab and Churu and Hanumangarh
in Rajasthan.

Sources said several persons were detained and were being questioned over their alleged involvement in
terrorist activities.

“Several digital devices, mobile phones and incriminating documents were seized. They are being examined,” the NIA said in a statement on Tuesday.

In November last year, the Financial Times had reported, citing sources, that the US had thwarted a conspiracy to assassinate Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun on American soil and issued a warning to India over concerns it was involved
in the plot.

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau had in September alleged that Canadian security agencies were probing “credible allegations” about a potential link between Indian government agents and the killing of a Canada-based Khalistan separatist, Hardeep Singh Nijjar, on Canadian soil in June, leading to a diplomatic row between the two countries.

Sources in the NIA said Pannun, who was declared a designated individual terrorist on July 1, 2020, had been actively exporting Punjab-based gangsters and youths to fight for the cause of an independent state of Khalistan, challenging the sovereignty, integrity and security
of the country.