Punjab Police raids over 1,490 locations linked to associates of gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi, Goldy Brar

The Punjab Police launched a special cordon-and-search operation on Friday at the suspected hideouts of people linked with gangsters Lawrence Bishnoi and Goldy Brar.

The simultaneous raids were conducted at residential and other premises linked to these people in all the districts.

The operation was aimed at disrupting the nexus between terrorists, gangsters and drug smugglers based in India and abroad, Director General of Police (DGP) Gaurav Yadav said.

He said more than 1,490 suspected hideouts of anti-social elements linked to Bishnoi and Canada-based Brar were raided during the daylong operation carried out by at least 200 police teams involving about 2,000 personnel.

The DGP said the operation was planned after the questioning of several people with links to the recently-busted modules backed by Bishnoi and Brar.

Giving details of the operation, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Arpit Shukla said several people have been detained and incriminating material has been seized from their possession.

Police conducted thorough searches at the houses and other premises linked to these people and collected data stored in electronic devices, which will be sent for a forensic examination, the ADGP said, according to an official statement.

He said police also checked the arms licences and questioned people about the sources of ammunition, besides obtaining the travel details of their family members based in foreign countries, bank transactions carried out abroad and property details.

The statement said the Punjab Police has busted 25 terror modules with the arrest of 160 terrorists or radicals and seized 30 sophisticated rifles, 200 revolvers and pistols, and 24 drones since March 2022.

''As far as gangsters are concerned, the Punjab Police has succeeded in busting 140 gangster/criminal modules with the arrest of 555 gangsters/criminals and by neutralising two, and recovered 510 weapons and 129 vehicles used in criminal activities from their possession in the same period,'' it added.

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