Ahead of Republic Day, 854 arrested in Delhi within 48hrs
What's the story
The Delhi Police has launched a massive crackdown on organized crime ahead of Republic Day. The operation, codenamed "Operation Gang-Bust 2026," was conducted between January 9 and January 11 and saw the arrest of 854 people. The operation was aimed at dismantling criminal networks and preventing any subversive activities that could disrupt the January 26 celebrations.
Operation scale
Massive police mobilization and extensive raids
More than 9,000 police personnel from various units, including district police, Crime Branch, and the Special Cell, were deployed for the operation. The crackdown spanned across Delhi and neighboring states like Haryana, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh. Over 4,000 hideouts linked to organized crime syndicates were raided during this period.
Operation impact
Extensive recoveries and FIR registrations
The operation resulted in the registration of 690 FIRs and the recovery of a large cache of illegal items. This included 122 firearms, 189 knives, 129 rounds of ammunition, and over ₹25.75 lakh in cash. Additionally, more than 117kg of narcotic drugs such as ganja and heroin were seized along with 28,364 quarters of illicit liquor.
Notable arrests
Gang leaders among those arrested
Among the 854 people arrested were members of notorious gangs such as Kapil Sangwan alias Nandu and Jitendra Mann alias Gogi. The operation also saw the arrest of members of over minor gangs, taking total gang-wise arrests to 280. The police have said that aggressive enforcement will continue as part of their strategy to curb organized crime in Delhi.