MUMBAI: Chief minister Devendra Fadnavis said the state government will constitute a team of police officers to tackle organised criminal networks such as the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. He also said the state is coordinating with the central government to bring back members of the Bishnoi syndicate operating from abroad.State to form special team to crack down on Bishnoi gangFadnavis made the announcement in the state assembly on Tuesday after legislators pointed to the gang’s growing activities and demanded action to curb them.Congress MLA Aslam Shaikh said, “During your previous tenure as chief minister, you had a team of officers such as Daya Nayak, Pradeep Sharma and Deven Bharti that took on hardcore criminals. Effectively, they used to encounter them. There is a need to have such a specialised team again.”Fadnavis agreed that a dedicated unit was needed. “I know more action is required. We will constitute a special team for this purpose,” he said.He praised the Mumbai Police for securing the deportation of Anmol Bishnoi, brother of jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, and the arrest of Pravin Lonkar, brother of Shubham Lonkar, a fugitive key conspirator in the murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique.The chief minister said the gang has adopted a new modus operandi to carry out extortion. “Their associates use VPN-based phones to issue threats. Those who do not respond are generally left alone, but those who appear intimidated are targeted. They hire contract shooters from states such as Uttar Pradesh and Bihar to open fire outside the victims’ homes or workplaces. The objective is not to kill but to create fear and terror,” he said. “We are investigating the use of VPN-enabled communication to apprehend the criminals,” he added.It is believed that Anmol Bishnoi and another key figure, Rohit Godara, operate extortion rackets for the Bishnoi syndicate from overseas. However, Fadnavis told the house the gang has since split into rival factions.“Earlier, Arzoo Bishnoi and Rohit Godara were part of the same gang, but after the arrest of their leader, the organisation split into two factions. We will trace and apprehend them as well,” he said.The chief minister added that the Bishnoi and Godara networks remain active across several states, with their activities in Maharashtra concentrated in Mumbai, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad.“We are coordinating with the central government and efforts are underway to bring back other members of the Bishnoi gang who are operating from abroad,” he said.