Dhanbad, Oct 13 : The Police in Jharkhand have arrested 12 associates of fugitive gangster Prince Khan who runs a criminal network in the state while operating from Dubai, officials said on Monday.

According to Dhanbad SSP Prabhat Kumar, the arrests followed a specific intelligence input that members of Khan's gang had arrived in Dhanbad to execute a major crime.

Acting on the tip-off, he said a special police team was constituted, which apprehended several suspects from the Rajganj police station area of the city.

Questioning of those detained led to the arrest of other gang members, including operatives responsible for executing crimes, handling weapons, and managing finances.

Among those arrested is Khan's close aide and key lieutenant, Saifi alias Major.

The arrested include shooter Suraj Tandi (Sambalpur), Ashish Kumar Singh (Jamshedpur), Tauqeer Raja (Wasseypur), and Lucky Vishal (Jamshedpur).

The other gang members who have been arrested include conspirators and financial handlers Afridi Raja (Wasseypur), Pawan Kumar Singh (Wasseypur), Hrithik Kumar Vishwakarma (Katras), Vikram Kumar Saw, Aman Kumar Gupta, Akash Kumar Varnwal, Tauqil Ansari, and Abhishek Pandey.

Police have recovered two country-made pistols, three live cartridges, two country bombs, Rs 31,970 in cash, two motorcycles, and seven mobile phones from their possession.

SSP Kumar said multiple FIRs are already registered against the arrested individuals in various police stations.

He added that their interrogation has yielded vital information about the gang's operations, including details of extortion networks targeting businessmen and the modus operandi of crimes carried out under Prince Khan's direction.

Prince Khan, originally from Wasseypur in Dhanbad, is considered Jharkhand's most wanted gangster. He has been hiding in Dubai for the past four years and continues to control his criminal enterprise from there.

At the request of the Jharkhand Police, Interpol has issued a Red Corner Notice against him. Khan frequently releases videos from abroad, boasting of his involvement in murders and extortion rackets across the state.

/IANS