Operation Dhvast of NIA

• National Investigation Agency (NIA) recently conducted a nationwide operation called ‘Operation Dhvast’ targeting the interconnected network of terrorists, gangsters, and drug smugglers.
• It was aimed at breaking the terror nexus of terrorists, and other notorious gangsters involved in targeted killings, terror funding of pro-Khalistan outfits, and extortion, and smuggling of drugs and weapons.
• Collaborating with the police in Punjab and Haryana, the NIA carried out raids at 129 locations across multiple states.

About National Investigation Agency

• The NIA is a federal agency established in 2009 by the Indian government to investigate and prosecute crimes related to terrorism, insurgency, and national security.
• It was constituted under the National Investigation Agency (NIA) Act, 2008 with headquarters at New Delhi.
  • It was formed in response to the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks.
• It operates under the Ministry of Home Affairs and has jurisdiction over matters that affect the entire country.
• The law under which the agency operates extends to the whole of India and also applies to Indian citizens outside the country.
• The agency was further empowered by the National Investigation Agency (Amendment) Act, 2019.
• The NIA is authorized to take over terrorism-related cases from state police forces and other agencies, and it can investigate cases across state boundaries without requiring prior permission from state governments.
• Functions include collecting, analyzing, and disseminating intelligence on terrorism and national security, coordinating with law enforcement agencies within and outside India, and prosecuting cases before the NIA Special Court.
• It seeks the sanction of the Central government for prosecuting accused individuals under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other scheduled offenses like Explosive Substances Act, Atomic Energy Act, Anti-Hijacking Act