Dhanbad, Nov 4 (IANS) In a major crackdown on organised crime, Dhanbad Police on Tuesday carried out massive raids at 30 locations across the district targeting the network of the notorious ‘Wasseypur gang’ led by fugitive gangster Prince Khan and arrested seven of his associates.

The large-scale operation, which began around 3 a.m. on Tuesday and continued for more than six hours, was conducted under the supervision of SSP Sanjeev Kumar. Teams from multiple police stations, along with special units, participated in the raids.

Apart from the arrest of seven individuals, several others were detained for questioning.

Those arrested include Firoz Malik of Shamsher Nagar, Ladla Khan, Saheb Qureshi, Mohammad W., Arif (DJ), Parvez Khan, and Mohammad Tausif.

Police said many among them have previous criminal records and have worked as shooters, extortion collectors, or logistics handlers as Prince Khan’s gang members.

During the coordinated searches, the police seized weapons, ammunition, cash, mobile phones, and several important documents.

Officials said the recovered materials are being examined, and details will be formally shared after verification.

Sources said the action followed credible intelligence inputs that members of the gang were planning a major criminal operation, and that a consignment of foreign-made weapons was recently smuggled into Wasseypur.

Police officials stated that the crackdown is a decisive move aimed at dismantling the financial, logistical, and ground-level support system of the gang.

Preliminary investigations have indicated that the gang’s network extends beyond traditional criminals and includes local land dealers and certain white-collar individuals who were allegedly facilitating the gang through land deals, hawala-style funding, and procurement of arms.

Police are now preparing a list of all such alleged collaborators, and further arrests are expected.

Prince Khan, considered one of Jharkhand’s most wanted criminals, has been evading arrest for the past four years and is hiding in Dubai.

At the request of the Jharkhand Police, Interpol has issued a Red Corner Notice (RCN) against him. He is wanted in multiple cases, including murder, extortion, firing incidents, and criminal conspiracy.

Despite being on the run, he has frequently posted videos on social media, taking responsibility for crimes and issuing threats.

–IANS

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