Amid chill in India-Canada ties, agencies working to tackle nexus of separatists, gangsters and terrorists

“Currently, the NIA is probing around 10 cases registered in connection with the nexus between gangsters, terror operatives and banned Khalistan outfits. In most of these cases, the accused in India are already lodged in jails, but their associates or handlers are in Canada, Pakistan, etc. We are coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs as well as the Research and Analysis Wing (R&AW) to catch them,” said an official.

The NIA is also set to discuss and share specific case studies with state counter-terrorism squads on how they are dismantling this nexus. “We have started attaching properties of a number of gangsters, their associates as well as criminals operating from abroad. We want to use the intelligence network of different state police forces to get more information regarding their properties. There’s a need for better coordination on the ground to execute our plan, like we had done against the Popular Front of India,” the official said.

The meeting will be attended by R&AW Chief Ravi Sinha, head of the Intelligence Bureau Tapan Kumar Deka, and chairman of the National Technical Research Organisation Arun Sinha.

Officials also said the NIA is also looking at links between gangsters and singers, kabaddi players as well as advocates, on the lines of the pre-1993 Mumbai blasts era when extensive links between the underworld and members of the film industry had surfaced.

On why better coordination is required, an official cited the example of Canada-based designated terrorist Arshdeep Singh Gill of the Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF). “The Punjab police are also working against him, and the NIA is also probing multiple cases. Ideally, both investigation teams should coordinate and pursue the case together,” the official said, adding that not being on the same page can do disservice to their probe when dealing with international agencies.

To press for better coordination, the official cited the example of Canada-based designated terrorist Arshdeep Singh Gill who is being investigated both by the Punjab Police and the NIA.

Senior officials in the Ministry of Home Affairs emphasised the need for smooth exchange of information, alerts and terror inputs among heads of security agencies with terror teams operating in states.

“All the invitees have been asked to make a presentation and share key factors of their terror investigation cases,” an official said, adding that an increase in Chinese SIM cards being used in the country and terror funding trends will also come up for discussion.