AHMENDABAD: In a high-stakes anti-terror operation, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has arrested four men with suspected links to Al-Qaeda.
The accused were allegedly involved in radicalising youth and promoting jihad through social media and encrypted apps.
In a significant crackdown on terror, the Gujarat ATS arrested four individuals allegedly linked to an Al-Qaeda module for promoting extremist ideology and anti-national propaganda online.
The accused, Mohammad Faiq Rizwan (Delhi), Mohammad Fardeen Rais (Fatehwadi, Ahmedabad), Saifullah Qureshi Rafiq (Modasa, Gujarat), and Zeeshan Ali Asif Ali (Noida), were allegedly part of a covert digital network spreading jihadist literature and inciting violence.
According to ATS DIG Sunil Joshi, the operation was launched following a tip-off received on 10 June, which led to the surveillance of five suspicious Instagram accounts. The probe revealed that accounts such as Mujahideen 1 and Mujahideen 3 were spewing pro-Al-Qaeda and anti-democracy content.
Further digital forensics traced these accounts back to the arrested men.
The ATS discovered that the accused were actively sharing Al-Qaeda literature, radical posts, and inflammatory videos. A sword and digital evidence were seized from one of the accused in Fatehwadi, while links of the Delhi-based suspects to individuals in Pakistan have also surfaced.
Officials confirmed that the arrested men were using auto-deleting apps to communicate and allegedly evade detection.
One of the accused, Asif, was reportedly posting speeches of a deceased terrorist named Umar, who was killed in Afghanistan. His messages in English and Urdu allegedly glorified jihad and sought to spread Sharia rule in India.
ATS sources also found content linked to “Operation Sindoor”, which contained explicit anti-India narratives.
The accused had allegedly been radicalised through encrypted channels and extremist groups on various social media platforms. Their online behaviour, group affiliations, and continuous monitoring of Gujarat’s internal movements raised red flags for the ATS.
A case has been registered under UAPA Sections 13, 18, 38, and 39, along with Sections 113, 152, 196, and 61 of the Bhartiya Nyay Sanhita 2023. All four accused have been remanded to 14-day custody as the ATS deepens its probe into their digital networks and offline contacts.
Officials believe more suspects may be linked to this module. The operation is ongoing, with multiple digital trails and chat logs under scrutiny.