The Delhi Police Special Cell has apprehended nine individuals believed to be associated with a Pakistan-based ISI-Mumbai underworld network. Additionally, several others have been detained for questioning in connection with the case.
Authorities have identified around 600 people nationwide who allegedly communicated with Pakistani gangster Shahzad Bhatti through various means, predominantly social media platforms. In a recent operation, Sajid Mehboob Sheikh, known as Arbaz Khan, was arrested in Mumbai’s Kurla area, while Tauqeer Rizwan Sheikh was captured in Mumbra. Both suspects have been taken to Delhi for further interrogation.
The arrested individuals had reportedly been instructed to travel to Delhi upon which they would be assigned their next tasks. They were purportedly provided with financial resources to support their travel and operational endeavors. The arrests were the result of coordinated efforts in Mumbai’s Kurla and Mumbra regions, revealing a suspected connection between underworld figure Dawood Ibrahim and Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI.
During the operation, a significant number of weapons were seized by the Special Cell. Notably, individuals of Nepalese descent were among those arrested. Sources within the Delhi Police suggest that the group had been cultivated over an extended period by Pakistani intelligence agents.
The group’s potential targets, as per NDTV sources, included critical infrastructure such as nuclear facilities, airports, railway stations, and power plants. Authorities have been monitoring the module for some time and are now investigating possible international links, funding sources, and the involvement of overseas handlers in directing the group’s activities.
Given recent intelligence warnings of a potential terror threat, Delhi remains on high alert. Security agencies had received alerts about potential attacks on key offices and crowded areas in central Delhi, including through suicide attacks, vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (IEDs), shootings, and coordinated assaults. District police units have been instructed to stay vigilant and work closely with intelligence agencies and central paramilitary forces.
According to Delhi Police reports, foreign-based terror operatives are increasingly utilizing encrypted online platforms, social media networks, and local sleeper cells to recruit, radicalize, and guide operatives within India.
