The Haryana Special Task Force (STF) has intensified its crackdown on organised crime, gangster networks and extortion calls, arresting 512 accused between January 1 and August 24, 2026. Those arrested include 55 most-wanted criminals, 270 gangsters and gang members, and 187 accused involved in other heinous crimes.
Haryana Director General of Police Ajay Singhal said maintaining law and order remains a top priority and that the police will deal firmly with attempts to intimidate citizens, extort money from businessmen or establish criminal dominance through gangs. He said all extortion calls were being treated seriously, with directions for immediate action.
The STF is using intelligence-led policing, technical surveillance, field operations and coordination with other states and central agencies to dismantle criminal networks. Officials said the focus was not only on arresting individual criminals but also on identifying their associates, arms suppliers, financial resources and other support systems.
Additional DGP (Law & Order) Sanjay Kumar said the STF has arrested 1,972 accused since 2024, including 369 wanted or most-wanted criminals, 1,063 gangsters or gang members and 540 accused involved in heinous crimes. In the action against gang members, 323 were arrested in 2024, 470 in 2025 and 270 so far this year.
The STF has also expanded its operations beyond Haryana and India. IGP, STF, Satish Balan said 21 gangsters had been brought back to India through deportation or extradition during 2025-26, including 14 in 2026. Another 12 gangsters have been detained abroad. The STF is coordinating with central agencies and international law-enforcement authorities to pursue such criminals.
Extortion remains a particular focus. So far this year, 109 extortion-related cases have been registered. STF teams and district police units are working together to analyse threatening calls, identify suspects, track criminal networks and conduct field operations. Special surveillance is also being maintained on gangs targeting businessmen, industrialists and commercial establishments.
The STF is simultaneously focusing on preventive policing. Since 2025, it has prevented 126 potential incidents involving murder or firing, including 58 linked to unknown accused and 68 involving known accused. It has also prevented nine potential bomb-blast incidents, officials said.
Police officials said these operations reflect a shift towards intelligence-led and prevention-oriented policing, with greater emphasis on identifying threats before crimes occur.
District police units are also playing an active role by sharing local intelligence and technical inputs with the STF. The coordinated system is intended to ensure that an extortion call or gang-related incident is not treated as an isolated crime, but as a potential indicator of a wider criminal network.
