From Locksmith to Gun Runner: The Rise of Mahfuz Ali in Delhi’s Criminal Underworld

Mahfuz Ali, a former locksmith from Jaffrabad in Northeast Delhi, has emerged as a pivotal figure in a transnational arms‑smuggling enterprise. After dropping out of school in 1998, he joined his family’s lock‑making business before getting drawn into local gang circles.

Police records show his first brush with the law came in 2006 when he was booked for an attempted murder linked to a gang feud. Over the years, Ali escalated his involvement, participating in contract killings and violent turf wars. He is linked to the murders of several notorious underworld figures, including Sabir Ali (nicknamed Nanhe) and others.

Investigators allege that Ali cultivated close ties with incarcerated gangster Hashim Baba, aiding in a range of illicit activities. In 2021, he is accused of facilitating the movement of shooters involved in the murder of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala, even disposing of electronic evidence in the Yamuna River. The same year, he allegedly helped transport a consignment of foreign pistols from Punjab to gang leader Jaggu Bhagwanpuriya.