NIA's 2023 key successes in counter-terrorism and law enforcement

Agency successfully tracked down 47 absconders, including key figures. File pic

In 2023, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) achieved significant milestones in combating terrorism, gang-related activities, drug smuggling, human trafficking, and other crimes against national interests. Their successes included: Conviction rate: The NIA boasted a remarkable conviction rate of 94.70 per cent, with 625 arrests and the seizure of assets valued at approximately Rs 56 crore.

An insider at the NIA highlighted, "We targeted ISIS, Kashmiri militants, and various terror-gang networks aggressively throughout the year. This crackdown resulted in multiple arrests and disruptions within these groups."

International attacks:

The NIA focused on resolving offences against Indian interests abroad, conducting over 50 raids to unravel the conspiracy behind attacks on Indian missions in Ottawa, London, and San Francisco. An officer said, "We employed innovative methods, including crowd-sourcing, leading to the identification of 43 suspects involved in these attacks."

Operational expansion:

The agency significantly increased its operations nationwide, as compared with 490 accused arrested in 2022, the total number of arrests made by the NIA this year stood at 625 -a 28 per cent rise in arrests compared to the previous year. These arrests covered various categories, including 65 arrested in ISIS cases, 114 arrested in jihadi terror cases, 45 arrested in human trafficking, 45 arrested in organised crime, and 76 arrested in Left-Wing Extremism (LWE).

The NIA's annual report highlighted, "We registered 68 cases encompassing Jihadi terror, LWE, terrorist activities in multiple states, cases from the Northeast, and fake Indian currency notes."

Crackdown highlights:

The agency successfully tracked down 47 absconders, including key figures involved in significant cases, such as the Attari border heroin seizure involving the smuggling of over 102 kgs of narcotics from Afghanistan via the India-Pak border.

Another source from the NIA said, "Amritpal Singh alias Ammy, Amrik Singh, Manpreet Singh alias Peeta, and Mandeep Singh were deported from the Philippines, Vikram Brar was arrested upon deportation from the UAE. Our searches and raids increased from 957 in 2022 to 1040 in 2023, demonstrating our intensified efforts."

Terror funding and asset seizure: The NIA intensified its focus on seizing properties amassed through illegal activities, significantly increasing property attachments compared to the previous year.

An official said, "Our focus extended to Jammu and Kashmir, with a rise from 37 properties worth Rs 10.53 crore in 2022 to 240 properties, including 156 bank accounts, totalling Rs 55.90 crore in 2023. The attachments, made under various provisions of UA(P)A, included 12 properties (of which 04 were bank accounts), worth Rs 1.5 crore, of six listed ‘Individual Terrorists'"

Crackdown on networks:

The NIA made considerable strides in dismantling terrorist-gangster alliances, and arresting significant individuals involved in various terrorist activities. A senior official from the NIA said, "In December, 15 accused were arrested following raids at 44 locations in Maharashtra and Karnataka, resulting in the seizure of substantial incriminating materials. Another crackdown in December led to the arrest of 8 ISIS Ballari operatives, thwarting the banned global terrorist organisation's plans for countrywide terror acts, particularly IED blasts. Similar actions against radicalised ISIS and HuT modules occurred in separate cases in Jabalpur and Bhopal in September."

Dismantling the terrorist-gangster nexus remained a priority in NIA investigations. "Moreover, our consistent coordination with international agencies resulted in actions against foreign nodes of the syndicate. The arrest of Deepak Ranga, the prime accused in the RPG attack on the intelligence headquarters of Punjab police, stands as a significant achievement. Ranga, wanted in multiple terrorism and criminal cases, was the chief executor of terrorist activities for Harwinder Singh Sandhu alias Rinda in Pakistan and Lakhbir Singh Landa in Canada. Both are members of the proscribed terrorist organization Babbar Khalsa International (BKI) and are designated ‘Individual Terrorists.' Another crucial action was the arrest of Manpreet Peeta, the right-hand man of the designated ‘Individual Terrorist' Arsh Dala, responsible for widespread terrorist and extortion activities while based in the Philippines," added the official. Regarding Left-Wing Extremism, a senior official said, "We carried out massive crackdowns against CPI Maoist and PLFI sympathisers, leading to multiple arrests and seizures."

In a major breakthrough, NIA arrested Dinesh Gope, the PLF Supremo, a splinter group of CPI (Maoist), in May 2023. He was absconding for two decades and was wanted in more than 150 cases, and was carrying a cumulative reward of Rs 30 lakh announced by the State Police and NIA. The agency also targeted human trafficking networks, especially along the Indo-Bangladesh border, resulting in key arrests.

Designations and bans:

Several terrorist organisations were designated and banned based on NIA proposals. The NIA concluded, "We organised the anti-terror conference, showcasing our dedication to evolving counter-terrorism strategies, including cyber terror and transnational crime prevention."

94.70 per cent
Conviction rate NIA boasted of in 2023