Chandigarh, Jan 9: A multi-year operation by the Haryana Special Task Force (STF) against gangsters based overseas has led to a sharp decline in extortion calls, with officials reporting a reduction of nearly 40 per cent across the state and neighbouring regions.
Senior STF officials said the action has targeted criminals who fled India during the Covid years and continued running extortion rackets from foreign soil. Of the 51 gangsters identified as having escaped abroad, nine have been detained by international authorities, while deportation proceedings are underway.
“Our sustained action has broken their sense of safety abroad,” said STF IG Satish Balan. “These criminals believed distance would protect them, but coordinated efforts with the CBI and Interpol have proved otherwise.”
To curb criminal activity, the STF has ensured the revocation of 41 passports and the issuance of 63 lookout circulars after sharing detailed dossiers with central and international agencies.
Among those detained are Bhanu Rana and Moni Rana from Karnal, currently held in the United States. Gangster Lovepreet has been detained in Armenia, while Venkat Garg is in custody in Georgia.
Venkat Garg, who faces over 10 criminal cases, is accused of facilitating violent crimes across North India. Officials said his detention has severely impacted the operations of Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu, as Garg allegedly supplied shooters for contract killings and extortion-related violence.
Bhanu Rana is accused of coordinating arms supplies across Haryana, Punjab and Delhi and is linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. His brother Moni Rana allegedly fled the country using forged travel documents and continued criminal activities from abroad.
Despite the progress, officials said the whereabouts of several key gangsters, including Rohit Godara, Goldy Brar and Deepak Nandal, remain untraced. “The investigation is ongoing, and efforts are being intensified to locate them,” an STF officer said.
