The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has apprehended eight individuals across Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh for their alleged links to the Pakistan-based terror organization Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). The arrests, made on Thursday, July 2, are reported to have thwarted plans to establish an active terror network and orchestrate attacks across the country.
The multi-state operation saw arrests in various districts of Gujarat, including Banaskantha, Patan, and Navsari, as well as Dewas in Madhya Pradesh. The arrested individuals have been identified as Ahmed Abdullah Gajiwala, Ibrahim Mohammad Husen Ghagha, Mudassir Abdullah Ghaziwala, Zakariya Durani Mohammad Ammar Ghagha, Mufti Faujan Ismail Dauwa, Mohammad Amin Shera, Mohammad Abdul Rahman Savdi, and Bilal Durani Mohammad Ammar Ghagha. According to a tweet by Mr Sinha, these individuals "were planning terror activities across the country."
Authorities allege that the group was actively working to set up a resilient terror network within Gujarat, operating as a sleeper module. They reportedly formed an organization named "Darul Islam Gujarat Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM)" and were in contact with Pakistani handlers identified as 'Abdullah and Mohammad Umar'. Several of the apprehended men were allegedly operating out of religious and educational sanctuaries, using them as cover to radicalize young people and facilitate logistics.
The operatives are accused of translating JeM literature, including books by its chief Masood Azhar, into Gujarati to propagate the organization's ideology. The ATS recovered various items, including jihadi literature, audio, videos, photographs, and the JeM flag. Investigators also stated that the group received approximately Rs 3 lakh in funding, which was used to purchase an old car for their operations.
A comprehensive case has been registered against the eight accused under sections 13, 17, 18, 38, and 39 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), 1967, and sections 148 and 61 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023. All eight have been remanded to 14 days of police custody as further investigation continues to trace their contacts, funding sources, and recruitment efforts.
