Chandigarh, Jan 8: Extortion calls across Haryana and adjoining regions have dropped by nearly 40 per cent following a sustained crackdown by the Haryana Special Task Force (STF) on gangsters operating from overseas, officials said on Thursday.
The STF said its focused action against criminals who fled India during the Covid period has disrupted extortion rackets being run remotely from foreign countries. So far, more than 10 gangsters have been deported, while nine others are currently lodged in detention centres abroad and are being processed for return to India.
“The drop in extortion calls shows that fear has set in among gangsters and confidence has grown among citizens,” said Satish Balan, Inspector General, STF. “We have been tracking their foreign hideouts for the past three to four years and sharing dossiers with Indian and international agencies.”
According to the STF, 51 gangsters who escaped abroad have been identified. To prevent further criminal activity and possible escape, the task force facilitated the cancellation of 41 passports and the issuance of 63 lookout circulars.
Investigations revealed that several of the detained accused had been running organised crime syndicates abroad for years. Karnal-based gangsters Bhanu Rana and Moni Rana are currently held in a detention centre in the United States. Lovepreet has been detained in Armenia, while Venkat Garg is in custody in Georgia.
Venkat Garg, a resident of Naraingarh in Haryana, faces more than 10 criminal cases and is accused of operating across Haryana, Punjab and Delhi. His detention has weakened the network of gangster Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu, as Garg allegedly arranged shooters for murders and extortion attacks.
Bhanu Rana, allegedly linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, is accused of managing an arms supply network across Haryana, Punjab and Delhi. His brother Moni Rana is suspected to have fled India using a fake passport and continued criminal operations from overseas.
The STF said investigations are continuing to trace other high-profile gangsters, including Rohit Godara, Goldy Brar and Deepak Nandal, whose locations remain unknown.
