New Delhi, Oct 18 (IANS): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday arrested two persons including an aide of gangster Kala Jathedi and a Delhi-based advocate after a day-long raids at over 50 locations across the country.

The searches were conducted at more than 50 locations in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and Delhi-NCR to dismantle and disrupt the emerging nexus between terrorists, gangsters, and drug smugglers and traffickers based in India and abroad.

A senior NIA official said that Advocate Asif Khan, a resident of Usmanpur, and one Rajesh a.k.a. Raju Mota, who is involved in criminal cases, have been arrested after the raid.

"Khan has been arrested. Four weapons and a few pistols (in semi knocked down condition), along with ammunition, were recovered from his house. Rajesh a.k.a. Raju Mota, an aide of Kala Jathedi, a resident of Haryana, has also been arrested. He has a criminal background and has multiple criminal cases registered against him," the official said.

The NIA said that during investigation, it emerged that Advocate Khan was in touch with gangsters -- both inside and outside the jail, and he was actively assisting gangsters and criminals in carrying out various types of criminal and illegal activities.

The official said Raju Mota is running an illegal liquor mafia network in Sonepat and surrounding areas, along with his associates. He is an accomplice of Sandeep a.k.a. Kala Jathedi -- a dreaded gangster of Haryana.

Raju Mota has also invested huge amount of money in liquor business which he has earned through illegitimate means.