In a major breakthrough for Indian security agencies, two of the country’s most wanted gangsters operating from abroad have been arrested. Venkatesh Garg was apprehended in Georgia, while Bhanu Rana linked to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang was nabbed in the United States.
Officials from multiple security agencies, including the Haryana Police, confirmed the arrests calling them a “significant success” in the ongoing crackdown on organised crime. Both men are expected to be deported to India soon.
Sources said that more than two dozen major Indian gangsters are currently based abroad, running extortion and smuggling rackets through hired operatives in India.
Venkatesh Garg: BSP Leader’s Murder Accused
Garg, a native of Narayangarh in Haryana, has over 10 criminal cases registered against him. He fled to Georgia after being involved in the murder of a Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) leader in Gurugram.
According to officials, Garg was actively recruiting youth from Haryana, Rajasthan, Delhi, and other North Indian states into his criminal network. He was also running an extortion syndicate in partnership with Kapil Sangwan, another gangster based overseas.
In October, the Delhi Police had arrested four members of Sangwan’s gang for firing at a builder’s house and farmhouse, revealing the international links of these criminal groups.
Bhanu Rana: Bishnoi Gang Operative In US
Bhanu Rana, originally from Karnal (Haryana), has long been associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, one of India’s most feared criminal networks.
Rana has several cases registered against him across Haryana, Punjab, and Delhi. His name also surfaced during the probe into a grenade attack in Punjab, where investigators discovered his involvement through his associates.
In June, the Special Task Force (STF), Karnal, arrested two men carrying hand grenades, pistols, and ammunition. During interrogation, the accused admitted they were acting on Rana’s instructions.
Authorities say the arrests of Garg and Rana have exposed a wider international nexus of Indian gangsters using foreign bases to run operations back home. Further investigations are underway to identify their accomplices and financial channels.
