Delhi Police Busts ISI-Backed Terror-Crime Syndicate, 7 Arrested

The Delhi Police Special Cell recently achieved a significant breakthrough by dismantling a sophisticated international terror-crime syndicate, reportedly backed by Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). This extensive operation led to the arrest of seven key operatives in Delhi. The syndicate was allegedly orchestrated by Pakistan-based gangster-turned-terrorists, Shahzad Bhatti and his associate Ajmal Gujjar. This module's primary objectives included orchestrating terror attacks, engaging in extensive arms and narcotics smuggling, and gathering intelligence on potential targets within the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR). The arrests, widely reported around June 16-17, 2026, highlighted a deeply entrenched cross-border network. Police intelligence, which began circulating in May 2026, indicated that Bhatti and Gujjar were actively plotting significant criminal and terror-related incidents in Delhi-NCR. They were reportedly recruiting vulnerable Indian youths through various social media platforms, luring them with promises of quick money and a glamorous criminal lifestyle. The modus operandi of the syndicate involved using drones to transport illegal arms, ammunition, and narcotic substances, such as heroin, from Pakistan into India, particularly across the Punjab border. These consignments were then collected by the arrested operatives and distributed across Delhi-NCR through what police described as a 'dead-drop' delivery method. The arrested individuals, identified as Anas alias Anas Tyagi (26), Mohit alias Yogi (26), Deepak alias Deepak Agrola (38), Arif alias Pradhan (30), Jatan (29), Sabir (30) (all residents of Ghaziabad, Uttar Pradesh), and Karanveer Singh (26) from Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab, had been in direct communication with their Pakistan-based handlers since at least November 2025. Upon receiving intelligence, the Delhi Police Special Cell initiated a probe, leading to the initial arrest of Mohit alias Yogi from Yamuna Vihar, Ghaziabad. Recovered from him were an unlicensed pistol and a mobile phone containing incriminating chats that revealed his contacts with Pakistan-based handlers. Subsequent interrogations unveiled the broader network and led to the other arrests. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Narra Chaitanya highlighted that the timely intervention by the Special Cell not only disrupted the activities of this organised module but also successfully thwarted several planned terror incidents in the capital region. This bust dealt a significant blow to the ISI-sponsored proxy warfare that is often carried out through criminal-terror networks. Investigators also found that some members of the module had conducted reconnaissance of several sensitive locations, including public places, religious sites, and police establishments across Delhi-NCR. Photographs and videos of these surveyed sites were allegedly being sent to the handlers in Pakistan for further operational planning. During the operation, authorities recovered five sophisticated semi-automatic pistols, 41 live cartridges, seven mobile phones containing incriminating chats and voice notes linked to Bhatti and Gujjar, and an SUV. Details of multiple bank accounts, allegedly used to channel proceeds from the illicit trade of narcotics and illegal weapons, were also seized and frozen. Many of the arrested accused possessed previous criminal records, including cases related to murder, attempted murder, robbery, and offences under the Arms Act and the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act. This bust is part of a series of actions by Delhi Police against ISI-backed modules. In a related but distinct operation reported earlier, around May 30, 2026, the Delhi Police Special Cell had arrested nine suspected operatives linked to an ISI-Mumbai underworld network. This module was allegedly planning attacks on vital installations and security personnel in Delhi and Mumbai, with arms and explosives, including Pakistani-made grenades and Glock pistols, being recovered. Judicial proceedings in this broader case saw four accused, including Harvinder Singh, Manjeet Singh, Gagandeep Singh, and Ang Kami Lama (from Nepal), being remanded to judicial custody till June 22, 2026. These arrests underscore the continuous efforts by Indian law enforcement to counter cross-border terrorism and crime, often intertwined with foreign intelligence backing, and highlight the complex challenges posed by such networks operating within and beyond national borders. Investigations are ongoing to identify and apprehend other absconding suspects, arms suppliers, and financiers linked to these terror-crime syndicates.

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