Multi-continent manhunt: Delhi Police, FBI team up to capture gangster Deepak Boxer from Mexico

New Delhi, April 4 (IANS) The Delhi Police achieved a major milestone by successfully apprehending wanted gangster Deepak Boxer, who had fled abroad in January, from Mexico, with the assistance of the FBI - the first instance in which it has collaborated with a foreign agency to catch a criminal since its formation in 1946.

As per Delhi Police, notorious gangster Deepak Pahal alias Boxer, a resident of Haryana's Sonipat, was wanted in 10 criminal cases including murder, attempted murder, and under the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act, among others.

Apart from this, Boxer was also handling the Jitender Gogi gang after his death. Gogi was killed in an encounter by his rivals that occurred in the Rohini court and he was also in touch with the members of Lawrence Bishnoi gang.

The crackdown comes after the directions from Union Home Minister Amit Shah to crack down on inter-state and international gangs.

"This is probably for the first time in the history of Delhi Police that a massive, multi-continent and joint police and administrative effort is bringing a dangerous fugitive back to India from Mexico," a senior police official told IANS.

As per sources, the Union Home Minister holds regular review meetings in this regard with the police and other agencies concerned.

"In furtherance to this, after reviewing work of Delhi Police in August 2022, the Union Home Minister had given specific instructions to the Special Cell and Crime Branch to legally pursue organised criminals and terrorists trying to hide anywhere in the country or abroad and bring them to justice. Arresting dangerous fugitive criminal Deepak Boxer from Mexico and bringing him to India is a big success in this direction," the official told IANS.

According to police, the operation was launched after the Delhi Police's Special Cell received a tip-off about Deepak Boxer's location.

"... a case was registered against Boxer and his gang on March 16 this year in the Special Cell police station under which the present operation was carried out. In this case it was resolved that Boxer has to be traced and arrested from any corner of the world," Special Commissioner of Police, Special Cell, H.G.S. Dhaliwal said.

Almost a month after extensive interrogation and technical procedures, it was revealed that the criminal had fled India on a fake passport and had made stops in several countries before finally reaching Mexico.

"After arriving in Mexico with the help of human traffickers, his plan was to meet with his associates in the US and continue running the organized crime group's operations in Delhi and neighboring states," said the Special CP.

In the second phase of the operation to locate Deepak Boxer, who had fled India on a fake passport in January 2023, a joint effort between the Special Cell, the FBI, and Mexico Police began in Mexico after confirming his presence in the country.

"During this process, the authorities thoroughly interrogated all of Deepak Boxer's former comrades, criminal associates, and close relatives for about a week. The information gathered from the interrogations was verified through highly complex technical processes and shared with Mexican and FBI officials in near-real-time, despite a 12-hour time zone difference," said Dhaliwal.

Subsequently, a deeply-placed source revealed that Deepak Boxer had gotten a fake passport made in the name of Ravi Antil from Uttar Pradesh's Bareilly before fleeing abroad from Kolkata airport. Acting on this information, the authorities traced him to the Mexican beach city of Cancun.

Cancun is considered a notorious city due to the huge presence of human traffickers and the narcotics mafia.

"The Delhi Police requested the Mexican administration to deport Deepak Boxer as soon as they discovered his presence in Mexico. The Indian Embassy in Mexico City collaborated with the Delhi Police, and a team of experienced field officers was dispatched to Mexico City to coordinate with the Embassy, Mexican authorities, police, and FBI to ensure Deepak Boxer's swift deportation before any legal challenges from his criminal network," said the official.

"Deepak is being extradited to New Delhi via Istanbul. This international effort to capture a dangerous fugitive, involved the support of major intelligence agencies, including the Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs, Embassies of various countries, Interpol, CBI, Delhi-based officials, and FBI and Mexican police officials who assisted the Delhi Police at every step," the official added.