Syndicate helping gangsters flee busted, 7 nabbed

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For years, gangsters operating from foreign soil have posed a challenge to law enforcement, issuing threats and extorting money while staying beyond the reach of Indian authorities. In 2023, Punjab Police identified seven such wanted gangsters, including Goldy Brar, Lakhbir Singh, alias Landa, and Arshdeep Singh, alias Arsh Dala, who had successfully fled the country and continued their criminal activities overseas.

In a first-of-its-kind crackdown, Delhi Police Crime Branch dismantled a well-organised network that specialised in forging Aadhaar cards, voter IDs, PAN cards and other documents, which were then used to obtain legitimate Indian passports. The syndicate primarily operated through passport offices in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, exploiting loopholes in the system to create fake identities for high-profile criminals.

The arrested accused include Nishant Kumar Saxena, a lawyer by profession; Harpal Singh, a dismissed Punjab Police constable with a criminal past; Monu, alias Aryan, a member of the Neeraj Bawana gang; and three agents — Sufiyan, Atul Kumar and Sukhdeep Singh — who were instrumental in procuring forged documents.

According to Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime Branch) Sanjay Sain, investigators had been tracking this network, which catered to criminals facing legal proceedings, allowing them to flee prosecution and continue their illegal activities abroad.

Acting on specific intelligence, Delhi Police launched a decoy operation, in which an undercover officer posed as a client seeking a fake passport. This led to the step-by-step arrest of all seven members of the syndicate.

Interestingly, accused Nishant Kumar Saxena was previously involved in creating a fake passport for a man named Gurvinder Singh from Ludhiana, Punjab, who was later deported from the US. A case had already been registered against Saxena in Ludhiana for his role in that incident.

With the busting of this syndicate, authorities believe they have struck a significant blow to the underground network that has long aided gangsters in escaping India. Further investigations are underway to uncover other possible links and beneficiaries of this operation.