In a coordinated international crackdown, Indian security agencies have captured two of the country’s most wanted gangsters who had been operating criminal networks from abroad.
Officials confirmed the arrests of Venkatesh Garg in Georgia and Bhanu Rana in the United States, describing the operation as a “major success” in the ongoing campaign against organised crime, as per a report by NDTV.
Garg and Rana, both hailing from Haryana, were key figures in transnational criminal syndicates that orchestrated extortion, recruitment, and arms trafficking operations from overseas.
Garg, a resident of Narayangarh in Haryana, fled to Georgia after being implicated in the murder of a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader in Gurugram. With more than ten criminal cases registered against him, Garg had built an organised syndicate, recruiting young men from Haryana, Rajasthan, and Delhi to carry out contract killings and extortion.
Garg had been closely coordinating with Kapil Sangwan, another wanted gangster currently residing overseas. Just last month, Delhi Police arrested four of Sangwan’s shooters in connection with attacks targeting a prominent builder’s residence and farmhouse, believed to have been ordered through this network.
Meanwhile, Bhanu Rana, originally from Karnal, Haryana, was apprehended in the United States. A long-time associate of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, Rana has been linked to multiple cases of violent crime in Haryana, Punjab, and Delhi. His name surfaced prominently during investigations into a grenade attack in Punjab earlier this year.
In June, the Special Task Force (STF) in Karnal had arrested two individuals found with grenades, pistols, and ammunition. According to reports, the extradition and deportation procedures are underway, with both Garg and Rana expected to be brought back to India soon.
