New Delhi: In a one-of-its-kind action against organised crime in the city, two dozen teams of about 400 police personnel simultaneously raided 26 locations in NCR through Sunday night. The objective of the strike was to bust the network of overground workers and foot soldiers of various gangsters operating from foreign soil.The raids came after police commissioner Satish Golcha’s meetings with the police brass, where he ordered a crackdown on the gangster menace, while attempting to make the business community, which has faced the gangsters’ brunt, feel safer. Subsequently, the city’s law and order chief, special commissioner Ravindra Yadav, put together teams from different police stations. They carried out simultaneous raids with help from a special team providing intelligence and location tips.The police caught around two dozen suspects linked to gangsters such as Kapil Sangwan and others. Six criminals, some of who are believed to be sharpshooters and extortionists, were arrested. They are Pawan alias Prince, Himanshu alias Machhi, Prashant, Rahul Divakar alias Manpreet, Ankit Dhingra, and Praveen.The antecedents of the rest of the men are being verified. The operation is still on. The police are now gearing up to invoke stringent MCOCA sections against them.The synchronised raids resulted in a significant haul, among these a bulletproof vehicle and over Rs 30 lakh in cash. The haul also included 14 high-end watches, laptops, iPads, a cash counting machine, walkie-talkie sets and mobile handsets — evidence that could help the police unravel the operations of the gangs. The police have also seized a cache of arms and ammunition that include eight country-made/sophisticated pistols, 29 live cartridges, and three magazines.Special CP Yadav said the operation had ensured an element of surprise, despite the elaborate coordination that was required. The police’s aim is to break the financial support nexus to the gangsters, amd crack down on their financiers. A number of financiers were detained for questioning.A team led by DCP Ankit Singh is now analysing the seized electronic devices to unravel the connections and operations of Sangwan’s gang and those of others. Sangwan is believed to be operating from London, orchestrating extortion rackets and contract killings in Delhi-NCR. The police claim he has extorted money from over 1000 victims in different states, leaving a trail of fear in his wake.Sources said that the operation was significant because it targets the support network of foreign-based gangsters, without which the kingpins cannot operate effectively. “These gangsters rely on foot soldiers, informers, and henchmen to carry out their activities, such as extortion, violence and intimidation. By cracking down on their over-ground worker network, we are dealing a massive blow to their operations,” a senior officer said.Breaking their on-ground nexus and finances, police said, will prevent the foot soldiers from following instructions, and police presence will prevent shooters from escaping with ease after a firing incident. This could ultimately disrupt the gangsters’ ability to run operations, bringing relief to the city’s residents and businesses.“The impact of such operations will be felt far and wide, as the gangsters’ ability to operate in Delhi-NCR will be curtailed. With their support network dismantled, the gangsters will struggle to carry out extortion, violence, and other criminal activities. The police’s proactive approach will also serve as a deterrent to potential offenders, sending a strong message,” a retired top cop said.
