
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) recently released a detailed 128-page chargesheet that sheds light on the extensive and organized criminal network allegedly led by Lawrence Bishnoi, likening his rise in the criminal world to that of the infamous gangster Dawood Ibrahim. According to the NIA, Bishnoi helms a powerful and influential syndicate with around 700 operatives, spanning multiple states, including Punjab, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi. The charges against him, which have accumulated over years and include high-profile cases like the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moosewala, paint a vivid picture of an enterprise deeply embedded in extortion, violence, and organized crime. In addition, the NIA alleges that Bishnoi’s network has formed alliances with pro-Khalistan elements, creating a dangerous nexus between gang activity and political extremism, thus enabling his organization to access sophisticated weapons and pursue further destabilizing activities.
This criminal empire operates under a unique system of “anonymity,” where gang members only know those directly above them in the hierarchy, making the network harder to infiltrate and dismantle. Furthermore, the NIA suggests that Bishnoi’s syndicate actively recruits new members through social media, attracting individuals drawn to the gang’s reputation and violent activities. As a result, the gang’s reach has expanded not only within India but also across international borders, aided by pro-Khalistan supporters abroad. The NIA’s findings show a network sustained by anonymous cash transactions, which enable various illegal operations—ranging from bribery and extortion to arms trafficking. This raises an important question: could abolishing currency notes hinder such expansive criminal empires and reduce their influence?
How Cash Drives Criminal Empires
The reliance on physical currency in criminal enterprises like Bishnoi’s is a significant enabler of their activities. Cash, due to its untraceable nature, allows criminal networks to operate beneath the radar, financing their illicit ventures and avoiding digital trails. Here’s how physical currency might be fueling organized crime:
- Untraceable Weapon Purchases: Bishnoi’s alliance with pro-Khalistan elements has reportedly allowed him access to high-powered weapons from across the border, vital to his syndicate’s operations. Cash payments for such weapon transactions eliminate digital footprints, allowing the gang to acquire arms without raising suspicion. A cashless system, however, would make it considerably harder for criminal syndicates to procure illegal arms without detection.
- Facilitating Bribery and Corruption: With over 84 criminal cases linked to Bishnoi and his syndicate, bribery likely plays a key role in keeping the network afloat. Cash transactions make it easy to bribe officials, evade investigations, and secure favorable conditions even within the prison system. Removing cash from circulation could dismantle these corrupt practices, as digital payments are easier to track and regulate, reducing the ability to leverage bribes and other under-the-table payments.
- Funding Recruitment and Expansion: The NIA’s report notes how Bishnoi’s gang recruits members through social media, with new recruits attracted to the gang’s notoriety. Cash rewards or payments are likely a primary incentive offered to new members. These untraceable payments are crucial in keeping such a vast network loyal and operational, as they can be distributed discreetly to avoid detection. A cashless system would make it more challenging for gangs to pay recruits or operatives without alerting authorities.
- Supporting International Operations: Bishnoi’s network reportedly collaborates with pro-Khalistan supporters internationally, leading to a “symbiotic” relationship that benefits both parties. Money generated through extortion and other illegal activities in India can be transferred to these international allies via cash transactions, funding activities and spreading influence globally without digital records. This international flow of cash further complicates efforts to limit criminal networks. In a world without physical currency, such cash flows would be replaced by traceable digital transactions, giving law enforcement more tools to disrupt cross-border criminal ties.
Why Abolishing Cash Could Help
If society moved toward a completely cashless system, criminal organizations would face significant barriers to sustaining and expanding their operations. Here’s why a digital-only economy could play a crucial role in countering organized crime:
- Enhanced Traceability: Digital transactions leave a record that authorities can follow, making it more difficult for criminal organizations to move large sums of money undetected. For a network like Bishnoi’s, which depends heavily on cash for bribery, weapon purchases, and other activities, digital tracking would increase the risk of exposure, potentially discouraging criminal activities.
- Reduced Opportunities for Bribery: Cash plays a major role in corrupting officials and avoiding legal consequences. When every transaction has a digital trace, it becomes considerably harder for criminals to bribe their way through the system. This could help limit the influence of crime syndicates within law enforcement and judicial processes, leading to more effective prosecution and dismantling of criminal organizations.
- Challenges in Recruitment and Payments: Criminal gangs often incentivize recruits and operatives through untraceable cash payments, which are difficult to monitor. Digital payments, however, require accounts and leave records, adding accountability and making recruitment and payment processes harder for criminal organizations to maintain without detection.
- Disruption of Cross-Border Financing: Criminal networks with international links, like Bishnoi’s collaboration with pro-Khalistan elements, could be severely disrupted in a cashless system. Without cash, moving funds across borders would require methods that are more visible to authorities, thereby reducing the ease with which these networks expand their reach internationally.
Conclusion: A Cashless Future to Deter Crime
The case of Lawrence Bishnoi’s criminal syndicate highlights how currency notes facilitate organized crime by keeping transactions hidden from the authorities. A cashless society would not completely eliminate crime, but it could place major hurdles in the paths of criminal enterprises, making it significantly harder for them to fund operations, recruit members, and bribe officials. As our economy becomes more digital, a move toward eliminating cash could be a powerful strategy in dismantling organized crime and fostering a more secure, transparent society.