Dubai don’s Delhi network busted: 6 shooters held after secret lounge party in Karol Bagh

NEW DELHI: The crime branch of Delhi Police has arrested six shooters allegedly linked to gangsters Rashid Cablewala and Hashim Baba after tracing them to a party at a lounge on Pusa Road in central Delhi’s Karol Bagh.

The accused were planning attacks on rival gang members and were involved in extortion, betting and illegal arms activities across east and northeast Delhi, police said. The police brass has expressed concerns over gangsters assembling in city bars and warned the district DCPs to take measures, sources said.

The arrested were identified as Faiz Qureshi (26), Maaz (24), Nawajish (32), Affak (24), Imran (39) and Arshad (25), residents of Babarpur and Brahmpuri. All six have previous involvement in criminal cases related to murder, attempt to murder, extortion, rioting and Arms Act. Investigators said the accused were also in direct touch with fugitive gangster Cablewala through an encrypted app.

"A team was conducting surveillance on active gangs and wanted criminals on May 6 when intelligence inputs revealed that several operatives linked to the Rashid Cablewala and Hashim Baba gangs had gathered at the Karol Bagh lounge,” Joint CP Surender Kumar said. “As the club was crowded, the police team maintained surveillance outside the premises. Around 4.05am, four suspects came out of the club and were nabbed," he added.

Police said four sophisticated pistols, including two Italy-made Beretta guns, along with 32 live cartridges, were recovered from a Maruti Baleno car parked near the lounge. The vehicle was also seized.

During follow-up raids, two more gang members, Arshad and Imran, were arrested along with additional illegal weapons. In total, nine sophisticated pistols with 77 live cartridges of .30 and .32 bore, one .312 bore rifle/doga with four live cartridges and the car were seized.

Cablewala, a close associate of jailed gangster Baba, operates the gang from Dubai and is linked to multiple high-profile murders in Delhi, including the killings of businessman Nadir Shah in Greater Kailash-I, businessman Sunil Jain in Krishna Nagar and a double murder in east Delhi last year.

Police said Nawajish allegedly handled illegal arms for the gang and five firearms along with 53 cartridges were found at his instance. Imran allegedly managed the gang’s finances, while Maaz and others were involved in collecting extortion money from local clubs.