The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has secured the cancellation of Shahbaz Ansari's interim bail after he went missing. Ansari, accused of supplying arms to the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, was initially arrested in December 2022.

Ansari's case is linked to the broader issue of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang's deep entrenchment in Uttar Pradesh, where they have established connections with local criminals and arms suppliers. The gang's activities extend to Punjab and Haryana, with alleged involvement in drug and terror networks.

The NIA's investigation revealed that Ansari had allegedly been in contact with a Pakistani national named Hamid, a Dubai-based arms smuggler, who purportedly supplied weapons for the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala. Hamid allegedly told Ansari about his connections with Canada-based Goldy Brar and his history of supplying weapons to him. The NIA has stated that Ansari and his deceased father, Kurban Ansari, were primary sources of weapons for the Bishnoi gang, with these weapons potentially used in Moosewala's killing.

Ansari was granted interim bail on June 18 by a vacation judge at Patiala House Court, citing his wife's upcoming spine surgery at MMG Hospital in Ghaziabad. He was instructed to provide his mobile number to the Investigating Officer and give weekly updates until his scheduled surrender on July 18.

However, the NIA discovered that Ansari's mobile phone was switched off and untraceable. Further investigation revealed the phone was registered to an Assam resident, the surety for his bail was allegedly provided in exchange for money, and the hospital he mentioned does not perform the claimed procedure. Based on these findings, the NIA successfully sought the cancellation of his bail on July 8. Despite a notice being issued, Ansari did not appear in court. His attorney claimed to be unaware of his location.

This is not the first time Ansari has been granted and then violated bail conditions. He was previously granted interim bail for five days in February 2023, based on his wife's pregnancy.

In a related development, Delhi Police arrested Rijwan Ansari, a key arms facilitator associated with the Kala Jathedi-Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Rijwan is believed to have supplied weapons for various criminal activities, potentially including the Moosewala murder. He was apprehended near Nala Chhawla in Dwarka, Delhi, with a stolen scooter, a sophisticated pistol, a country-made firearm, and live cartridges. Investigations revealed that Rijwan's arms supply operations were closely coordinated with Shahbaz Ansari. Rijwan is also wanted in connection with arms supply cases in Khujra Dehtat and Kotwali of Bulandshahr in Uttar Pradesh.

The arrest of Rijwan Ansari has shed light on the broader network of illegal arms trafficking in the Delhi-NCR region and beyond. Police reports indicate that the Bishnoi gang has connections with arms suppliers in Uttar Pradesh. Shahbaz Ansari's father and uncle were arrested in 2006 for importing and smuggling illegal foreign weapons from Pakistan via Nepal, supplying them in Delhi-NCR.