Statewide ATS Crackdown Targets Suspected Cross-Border Gangster Nexus

In a major intelligence-led crackdown on suspected cross-border criminal networks, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Friday launched a statewide operation, questioning 112 individuals allegedly linked to Pakistan-based gangster Shahzad Bhatti . The coordinated exercise, one of the largest undertaken by the ATS in recent months, is aimed at uncovering possible links between organised crime, online radicalisation and activities posing a threat to India's national security .

According to officials, all 14 ATS units simultaneously conducted searches and questioning across multiple districts, including Mumbai, Thane, Navi Mumbai, Sangli, Satara and Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar. Investigators are examining whether the identified individuals had contacts with Bhatti beyond social media and whether those interactions involved recruitment, financial transactions, operational planning or logistical support.

The ATS suspects that Shahzad Bhatti , operating from Pakistan, has been using social media and encrypted messaging platforms to influence vulnerable youth and build networks inside India. Officials, however, clarified that the questioning is part of an ongoing investigation and does not imply criminal guilt . Any further legal action will depend on the evidence gathered during the probe.

Security agencies believe cross-border criminal syndicates are increasingly exploiting platforms such as Instagram, Facebook, Telegram and WhatsApp to spread propaganda, recruit sympathisers and maintain communication with operatives without physical meetings. This has made cyber intelligence, digital forensics and mobile phone analysis central to modern counter-terror investigations.

Investigators said the simultaneous operation across all ATS units was strategically planned to prevent suspects from alerting one another, preserve electronic evidence before it could be deleted and allow officials to compare statements collected from different locations. Such intelligence-driven operations have become a key tool in tackling organised crime with alleged international links.

The investigation also comes amid a broader nationwide crackdown on networks allegedly associated with Bhatti. Security agencies have reportedly dismantled nine suspected modules linked to him since 2025, with actions led by the Delhi Police Special Cell and the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad . In one recent case, investigators alleged that Bhatti-linked operatives had conducted reconnaissance of crowded public places and were planning attacks using digital instructions.

Officials said the Maharashtra ATS , working in coordination with central intelligence agencies, will continue analysing digital evidence and verifying the nature of the suspects' alleged links. The investigation remains underway, with more details expected as the probe progresses.