Several people have been detained after massive National Investigation Agency or NIA raids on the Khalistani terrorists-gangsters nexus in six states, according to reports. The NIA has also seized a large amount of arms and ammunition during the raids.
The raids were conducted on as many as 50 locations spanning across six states – Punjab, Haryana, Delhi NCR, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh. Earlier in the day, the NIA detained gangster-turned-terrorist Arsh Dala’s aide, Sunder alias Jora, from Punjab’s Ferozepur.
According to NIA sources, the agency received inputs that Khalistani terrorists based in Canada and Pakistan are financing over-ground workers in India through the use of hawala for drugs and arms. The nexus between crime syndicates in India and Khalistani terrorists are indulged in terror financing and anti-state activities.
The development has come amid a massive diplomatic row between India and Canada over Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s allegations of New Delhi’s involvement in the killing of Khalistani terrorist Hardeep Singh Nijjar.
Trudeau’s allegations significantly deteriorated diplomatic relations between India and Canada, which has seen strain for several months.
Both nations expelled the heads of each other’s intelligence agencies. New Delhi also called on Ottawa to maintain diplomatic parity, citing interference in India’s internal affairs.
India further suspended visa services for Canadian nationals due to security concerns at its High Commission and Consulate offices in Canada.
A prominent US envoy revealed that intelligence agencies from Canada, the US, the UK, New Zealand, and Australia, collectively known as the Five Eyes consortium, shared information about Hardeep Singh Nijjar’s killing.
Terming Trudeau’s allegations “absurd and politically motivated”, India demanded specific evidence to back the claims. The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) also accused Canada of providing safe haven to Khalistani terrorists. Canada has, so far, not shared any information backing Trudeau’s claims.