94.7% conviction rate, 625 arrests make 2023 a year to remember for NIA

Srinagar, Dec 31

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) marked an exceptional year in 2023 with a remarkable 94.70 percent conviction rate, the arrest of 625 accused individuals, and the attachment of assets valued at approximately Rs 56 crore.

This success reflects the agency's relentless efforts in combating terrorism, organised crime, and other activities against national interests.

The NIA’s noteworthy accomplishments in 2023 include significant actions against ISIS, Kashmiri terrorists, and the emerging nexus between terrorists and gangsters operating within the country.

The agency intensified its crackdown on agents and operatives associated with these groups, achieving substantial breakthroughs.

Throughout the year, the NIA focused on offenses against Indian interests abroad, particularly the attacks on the High Commissions of India in Ottawa and London, and the Consulate General of India in San Francisco, USA.

More than 50 raids and searches were conducted to unravel the conspiracy behind these attacks, involving criminal trespass, vandalism, damage to public property, and attempts to harm Indian officials.

In comparison to 2022, the NIA witnessed a nearly 28 percent increase in total arrests, reaching 625 individuals in 2023.

The arrests covered various categories, including 65 in ISIS cases, 114 in terror cases, 45 related to human trafficking, 28 involved in terrorist and organised criminal activities, and 76 associated with Left-Wing Extremism (LWE) cases.

In 2023, NIA registered a total of 68 cases, spanning 18 terror cases, three cases from Jammu and Kashmir, 12 cases related to LWE, seven involving terrorist and organised criminal activity in Punjab, 5 cases from the Northeast, and 2 cases related to Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN).

The conviction rate remained robust at 94.70 percent with 513 persons chargesheeted and 74 convicted.

The agency's unwavering commitment to investigation and prosecution expertise was evident through this high success rate.

The NIA's efforts in apprehending absconders resulted in the tracking down and arrest of 47 accused in 2023, marking a significant increase from the previous year.

Notable breakthroughs included the arrest of a key absconding accused in the Attari border heroin seizure case.

Searches and raids also experienced a notable surge, increasing from 957 in 2022 to 1040 in 2023.

In a targeted strategy to choke terror funding, the NIA focused on attaching and seizing properties and assets acquired through illegal activities.

In 2023, the agency attached 240 properties, including 156 bank accounts, valued at Rs 55.90 crore, compared to 37 properties worth Rs 10.53 crore in 2022.

The NIA's crackdown on violent terrorism led to the dismantling of several modules associated with the banned global ISIS through nationwide operations.

The agency successfully arrested 15 individuals in December, thwarting the plans of the ISIS Ballari module for a series of terror acts.

Efforts to dismantle the terrorist-gangster nexus resulted in the registration of two cases, charge-sheeting 55 persons, conducting 253 raids, arresting 27 individuals, and attaching 18 properties in 2023. International coordination efforts targeted foreign nodes of these criminal syndicates.

Significant actions were also taken against Left-Wing Extremism, with multiple crackdowns against the banned CPI Maoist and People's Liberation Front of India (PLFI).

The arrest of Dinesh Gope, the PLF Supremo, after two decades of absconding, marked a major breakthrough.

The NIA's focus on combating human trafficking involving Bangladesh and Myanmar nationals led to the arrest of four accused in December, building on the success of the November operation that resulted in the arrest of 29 key operatives.

The year 2023 witnessed the designation of six individuals as ‘individual terrorists’ and the banning of four terrorist organisations, demonstrating NIA's commitment to countering their activities.

The NIA's achievements in 2023 showcase its unwavering dedication to national security, counter-terrorism, and the dismantling of criminal networks operating against the interests of India.

The agency remains committed to adapting and expanding its strategies to address emerging threats in the coming year.