Jharkhand Police have launched a detailed investigation into alleged terror funding networks linking some of the state’s most notorious criminals with arms smugglers in Pakistan. Recent arrests and digital forensics have revealed that gang leaders including Prince Khan and Sujit Sinha were allegedly procuring weapons from Pakistan through intermediaries in Punjab and routing payments via hawala and international money transfer channels.
According to officials, the Anti-Terror Squad and Ranchi Police are jointly investigating the role of more than a dozen individuals under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. Those named include Sujit Sinha’s wife Riya Sinha and associates Babloo Khan alias Inamul Haq, Ravi Anand, Mohammad Shahid and Mohammad Seraj, who were arrested from Ranchi in mid-October. Police seized three pistols, seven magazines, 13 live rounds, a car and several mobile phones during the operation.
Investigators have found that the Sinha and Khan gangs used Pakistan-based arms suppliers to procure sophisticated weapons, which were transported to Jharkhand via Punjab. Of the 21 weapons ordered, only ten have been recovered. Police believe the remaining eleven are still in circulation within the state’s criminal networks.
Officials said the gangs made payments through hawala routes, often routed via Dubai and Malaysia, with money transfers conducted through Western Union. Funds were first moved to Europe and then redirected to Asia, where Pakistani handlers received them through restaurant-based conduits in Malaysia. ATS Superintendent of Police Rishabh Jha said that Pakistani-operated restaurants such as Pak Punjabi Restaurant in Malaysia were used as cover to channel payments.
Investigations have also revealed that Sujit Sinha and his gang used a secret communication app called Jangi to plan criminal operations. Police said that his wife Riya and other close aides were involved in these online activities. While lodged in jail, Sinha directed his associates to record threat videos in Ranchi and send them to Prince Khan, who is believed to operate from Dubai. These videos were later circulated among local doctors, engineers and businessmen to demand extortion money. Those who resisted were targeted in firing incidents outside their homes and offices.
Police have also found that women were used as couriers to transport foreign-made weapons from Punjab to Jharkhand. One such woman, linked to Ravi Anand, allegedly delivered several pistols to the gang.
Earlier investigations had also traced Pakistan connections to other criminals including Mayank Singh and the late gangster Aman Sahu. Mayank, extradited from Azerbaijan, reportedly confessed to using extortion money for arms purchases and property deals abroad through hawala transactions.
The ATS is working with central agencies to trace the flow of funds and dismantle the network. Officers said evidence points to a structured system of terror financing through hawala, connecting Pakistan-based arms syndicates with Jharkhand’s organised crime groups. The investigation is expected to widen as police track the missing weapons and verify the extent of international transactions.