Officials said the searches were based on FIRs filed earlier by NIA and ATS related to an alleged criminal conspiracy involving members of an ISIS-inspired sleeper module operating in Pune. The ED action aims to verify suspected money flows, funding channels, and support networks connected to the accused
The ED action aims to verify suspected money flows, funding channels, and support networks connected to the accused. Representational Pic
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday conducted nearly 40 searches across India, with a major concentration in Padgha near Mumbai, in connection with a money-laundering probe arising from cases registered by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Maharashtra ATS against individuals linked to alleged ISIS activities in the state.
Officials said the searches were based on FIRs filed earlier by NIA and ATS related to an alleged criminal conspiracy involving members of an ISIS-inspired sleeper module operating in Pune. The ED action aims to verify suspected money flows, funding channels, and support networks connected to the accused.
The module is believed to have been working to further the ISIS agenda in India. Investigators alleged that the accused conspired to commit terrorist acts with the objective of disturbing public order and waging war against the Indian government.
The federal agency stated that the suspects had allegedly helped assemble improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at a rented house in Kondhwa, Pune, using materials procured and stored there. During 2022–2023, the group reportedly organised bomb-making workshops and carried out a controlled test explosion in forested areas near Pune. Previous seizures included explosive material, tents, a drone, and multiple electronic devices.
The NIA, assisted by the Maharashtra ATS, had carried out coordinated raids across Padgha–Bhiwandi, Borivli, Pune, Thane, and Mira Road as part of its investigation into the ISIS-linked network. During the operation, officers arrested 15 suspects, including former SIMI member Mohammad Saquib Abdul Hamid Nachan, who had long been under surveillance for alleged involvement in radical activities since the 1990s. Investigators said Nachan had earlier recruited youths and organised weapons and explosives training camps in Padgha. The 2023 ISIS Pune module crackdown had brought him back on the radar. (Nachan later died during the ongoing broader probe.)
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