Lucknow, Jan 7 (IANS): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has attached four properties owned by the members of Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

This is another major step towards demolishing the nexus of terrorists, gangsters and drug smugglers, said officials.

The properties were attached in coordinated action by NIA teams in Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh under the provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.

NIA found all these properties to be the “proceeds of terrorism, used for hatching terror conspiracies and executing serious crimes”.

The properties attached included a flat in Sulabh Awas Yojana in Gomti Nagar Extension, Lucknow, belonging to Vikas Singh, an alleged harbourer of terror gang in Lucknow. Two other properties attached were located in the Bhishanpura village, Fazilka, Punjab owned by accused Dalip Kumar.

An SUV registered in the name of Joginder Singh of Yamunanagar, Haryana, was also seized.

“Vikas Singh was an associate of Lawrence Bishnoi, who harboured terrorists, including accused persons involved in RPG attack on Punjab police headquarters. Joginder Singh is the father of gangster Kala Rana, a close associate of Lawrence Bishnoi,” said a NIA official.

“Joginder Singh was facilitating the gang members by allowing them to use his SUV for transportation of arms and ammunition. The property belonging to accused Dalip Kumar was being used as a shelter/warehouse for storage and concealment of weapons, and for harbouring terrorists,” he added.

NIA had registered a case against the organised crime syndicate of Bishnoi and his associates under UAPA in August 2022.

The agency’s investigations showed that the gang had spread its criminal network in several states of the country. These networks were involved in many sensational crimes, such as the murders of popular Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala as well as religious and social leaders like Pardeep Kumar, besides extortions.