Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Sep 17: The Pakistan-based Shahzad Bhatti Network (SBN) allegedly used social media and other online platforms to target Indian youth and draw them into radical activities, according to the Delhi Police Special Cell and security agencies.
The development comes after the Centre on Wednesday designated the SBN as a terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA). The Union Home Ministry said the network was involved in smuggling arms, explosives and narcotics across the border and in radicalising youth and local criminals.
According to the Delhi Police Special Cell, 12 FIRs have been registered against the Shahzad Bhatti module so far, with 51 accused arrested in these cases. Hand grenades, foreign-made weapons and petrol bombs have also been recovered from some of the arrested accused.
Investigators said the network allegedly targeted local criminals and unemployed youth with no previous terror record through social media and other online platforms. They were reportedly offered money, weapons and opportunities to settle abroad before being drawn into activities such as reconnaissance, weapons delivery and attacks.
Security agencies are particularly examining the use of online platforms in the recruitment process, where individuals were allegedly contacted digitally and gradually introduced to criminal and terror-related activities.
The Union Home Ministry notification said the SBN was involved in “radicalising gullible youth”, offering inducements and mobilising resources for anti-national activities in coordination with other banned organisations. The notification also cited criminal cases registered against alleged SBN members under the UAPA, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Arms Act, Explosives Act and Information Technology Act.
Under Section 35(1)(a) of the UAPA, the government added SBN to the First Schedule of the Act, which lists organisations designated as terrorist organisations. The move makes SBN the 46th organisation on the list.
The designation follows a major multi-state crackdown against the network in August. According to government figures, more than 200 operatives were arrested in coordinated operations across 14 states, while more than 80 FIRs were registered. Security agencies reported recovering IEDs, grenades bearing Pakistan Ordnance Factory markings, pistols, live cartridges and CCTV cameras allegedly used for espionage.
The Home Ministry said the network's activities posed a threat to India's democratic system, communal harmony and internal security. Security agencies are continuing to investigate the alleged links between the network, online recruitment and the wider crime-terror nexus involving Pakistan-based handlers and local operatives.