NEW DELHI: Delhi Police has busted an alleged India-Dubai extortion network linked to the Goldy Brar gang and arrested three operatives, foiling a plan to open fire at the residence of a Delhi businessman, news agency PTI reported citing officials said on Friday.The accused allegedly contacted businessman Praveen Jain through a UAE-based number on September 16 and demanded Rs 1 crore, while threatening his family with dire consequences. The caller allegedly claimed to be associated with gangster Goldy Brar.Jain received three missed calls around 8.15pm, following which his son Ayush received a call from the UAE number at around 9.27pm. A case was registered at Roop Nagar police station on September 17.Police said analysis of the communication trail showed that the calls were routed through virtual private server and data-centre infrastructure linked to the UAE.The investigation led police to Aarif alias Pistol, 32, who allegedly acted as a link between the Dubai-based callers and their associates in India. He was arrested from Ahmedabad’s Vejalpur on September 24 with Gujarat Police’s assistance.According to police, Aarif allegedly paid a Dubai-based associate, Aarish, to make the extortion call and instructed him to speak in Haryanvi to make it appear that the threat came from a local criminal.Police subsequently arrested Mubarik alias Gullu from Delhi on September 25. He allegedly helped plan the extortion attempt and arranged accommodation in Kirari for shooters who were to carry out the threat if the demand was not met.Police said intelligence inputs later indicated that the accused planned to fire multiple rounds at Jain’s Roop Nagar residence and then repeat the extortion demand. Preventive arrangements were made at the house, foiling the alleged attack.During the probe, police found that the same UAE number was allegedly used to target another Delhi businessman in Rohini. On September 19, the younger brother of a construction businessman received two WhatsApp calls and a 37-second audio message from the number.The caller allegedly identified himself as Vikrant from Mahendergarh, claimed affiliation with the Goldy Brar gang and demanded Rs 1 crore within 48 hours, threatening firing and other consequences. A separate case was registered at Vijay Vihar police station on September 24.Police said four suspected shooters, two from Panipat and two from Khalapar in Muzaffarnagar, had allegedly been engaged to execute the threats. One of them, Nawab Ali alias Sonij, was apprehended on October 1 from a moving train near Rewari with the assistance of the Railway Protection Force, police said.
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Police said Aarif has been named in 12 cases registered between 2016 and 2026 at Kairana police station in Shamli, including cases related to attempt to murder, extortion, criminal intimidation, rioting and Arms Act offences.Police are now looking for the remaining accused and the Dubai-based caller. Investigators are examining communication records, digital evidence and financial transactions to establish the wider network and determine whether the group was involved in other extortion cases.