Delhi Police have arrested six alleged members of the Rashid Cablewala-Hashim Baba gang, seizing a significant cache of illegal firearms and ammunition, disrupting their planned attacks and extortion activities in Delhi.
Key Points
- Delhi Police arrested six men linked to the Rashid Cablewala-Hashim Baba gang.
- Police seized 10 illegal firearms, including pistols and a rifle, from the gang members.
- The arrested individuals were allegedly planning attacks on rival gang members in Delhi.
- The gang is involved in extortion, illegal betting, and intimidation activities in the trans-Yamuna region.
- Gang leader Rashid Cablewala is operating from Dubai after fleeing India in 2022.
Delhi Police has arrested six men allegedly linked to the Rashid Cablewala-Hashim Baba gang and seized 10 illegal firearms, including sophisticated pistols and a rifle, and 81 live cartridges from their possession, officials said on Monday.
The accused have been identified as Faiz Qureshi (26), Maaz (24), Nawajish (32), Affak (24), Imran alias Teli (39) and Arshad alias Chota (25), all residents of northeast Delhi, a senior police officer said.
According to police, the accused were active members and henchmen of the gang operating in the trans-Yamuna region and were allegedly planning to attack rival gang members.
Gang Activity and Apprehension
"A Crime Branch team received specific information on May 6 that several associates of Rashid Cablewala and Hashim Baba had gathered at a club on Pusa Road in central Delhi," the officer said.
A team was positioned outside the club due to public safety concerns inside the venue. At 4.05 am, four suspects came out of the club, who were immediately apprehended, he said.
"During a search of their car parked nearby, police found four sophisticated pistols, including two Italian-made Beretta pistols, along with 32 live cartridges. The accused have been booked under the relevant sections of the Arms Act," the officer said.
Further Raids and Weapon Recovery
During follow-up raids, police arrested two more alleged gang operatives â Arshad and Imran alias Teli â and seized more illegal weapons from their possession, he said.
The total recovery included nine pistols of .30 and .32 bore, along with 77 live cartridges and one .312 bore rifle, locally known as a 'doga', with four cartridges, the officer said.
The accused were in direct contact with fugitive gangster Rashid Cablewala through a messaging application and were allegedly involved in extortion, illegal betting and intimidation activities, police said.
Extortion and Recruitment Tactics
"The accused used to collect monthly extortion money from local clubs on behalf of the gang. They were also attempting to lure teenage boys into criminal activities by supplying them with illegal firearms," the officer said.
According to police, Nawajish was allegedly handling illegal arms for the gang and was in close contact with Cablewala.
Five firearms, including two sophisticated pistols and a rifle, were recovered at his instance. He was earlier booked in cases related to murder and gambling, and was also accused in a firing incident at a cafe in Preet Vihar in 2024.
Individual Involvement and Criminal Records
Maaz allegedly joined the gang after developing close associations with criminal elements linked to his relatives, several of whom are lodged in jail in an MCOCA case.
Police said he also used to collect extortion money for the gang.
Imran, described by police as a "bad character", also has multiple criminal cases registered against him, including for murder, attempt to murder, Arms Act offences and a case related to the 2020 Delhi riots.
"He handled the financial activities of the gang on Cablewala's directions," the officer said.
Faiz Qureshi was earlier arrested in a firing case at a club in east Delhi in 2022. He later became an active member of the gang, police said.
Affak and Arshad were allegedly involved in firing incidents linked to gang rivalry and intimidation.
Gang Leadership and International Connections
Police said Cablewala, a close associate of jailed gangster Hashim Baba, has been handling gang operations for several years from Dubai after fleeing India on a forged passport in 2022.
"He was earlier booked under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) by the Crime Branch and was later apprehended by the Special Cell," the officer said.
His name surfaced in several cases in Delhi, including the murders of businessmen Nadir Shah in Greater Kailash and Sunil Jain in Krishna Nagar, besides a double murder case in east Delhi in 2024, police said.
Hashim Baba, currently lodged in Tihar Jail, allegedly controls the criminal activities of the gang through his associates despite being incarcerated.
