Ludhiana: A Europe-based extortion and drug-smuggling syndicate's domestic cell has been dismantled, exposing a hotel operator who allegedly acted as the gang's logistics and concealment manager by providing rooms without mandatory identification.
The action against hotel owner Mohit Negi follows the arrest of four key gang operatives on Sunday. Investigators discovered that Negi routinely sheltered the criminals at his Pakhowal Road establishment, allowing them to evade law enforcement after committing crimes.
"The suspects consistently used this hotel as a safe house," said constable Gurdeep Singh, the lead investigator. "The owner collected no mandatory identification proofs or maintained official guest registries."
The four arrested suspects were Abhijeet Singh, 26, Maniya Sahni, 20, Ankush Yadav, 25, and Sukhman Singh, 20. During the weekend raid, officers seized an illegal firearm and 300 grams of heroin from them.
Intelligence officials state that fugitive Namit runs this extortion and border-smuggling operations remotely from Europe.
Sadar police station officials registered a first-information report (FIR) against Negi under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). He faces charges of harboring or concealing offenders to shield them from legal punishment and disobeying an order promulgated by a public servant.
Background
This operation highlights the growing nexus between local facilitators and international criminal networks operating from Europe. Police are investigating further links to other hotels and properties.
Authorities have urged hotel owners to strictly adhere to registration norms to prevent misuse of their premises by anti-social elements.
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