NEW DELHI: In a multi-state crackdown on the nexus between gangsters in India and terrorists and drugs smugglers based in foreign countries, including Pakistan and Canada, the NIA on Tuesday conducted raids at 76 locations across eight states, focusing on arms suppliers and hawala operators allegedly working with criminal gangs linked to targeted killings.The raids — the fifth in series of searches in three relevant cases being probed by NIA — were conducted in Punjab, Delhi, Haryana, UP, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat and MP and led to the recovery of nine illegal weapons including pistols, revolvers and rifles as well as Rs 2.3 crore in cash.

Incriminating material, including documents, hard drives and phones, were also seized.Probes so far have revealed that many criminals, who were leading gangsters in India, had fled to countries like Pakistan, Canada, Malaysia and Australia and were planning crimes from there in association with criminals lodged in jails in different states.

These groups were carrying out targeted killings and raising funds for their nefarious activities through smuggling of drugs and weapons, hawala and extortions.

Three cases relating to gangster-terrorist-drug traffickers nexus have been registered by the NIA since August 2022 and several people, including kabbadi players, have been identified and booked for their alleged involvement in terror and other criminal activities like targeted killings and extortion from leading businessmen and professionals.

As per findings of the NIA probe, conspiracies for several such crimes, including the killing of Maharashtra builder Sanjay Biyani and international kabbadi organiser Sandeep Nangal Ambia in Punjab last year, were hatched in jails of different states and were being executed by an organised network of operatives based abroad.

Homes/offices of some hawala operators, kabaddi players, weapon suppliers, businessmen and their alleged financers, were also raided.