Mumbai, May 13 (IANS) The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) is interrogating 57 people across the state as it launched a major operation on Wednesday targeting individuals linked to or associated with Pakistan-based gangster networks, including the Shahzad Bhatti gang and the Dogra gang, officials said.

According to officials, coordinated ATS raids began at around 8 a.m. across multiple locations in Maharashtra, including Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur, Nalasopara, Mira Road, Akola, Nanded, Nashik, and Jalgaon.

The operation is part of a larger crackdown aimed at dismantling alleged gangster-linked networks operating within the state and identifying individuals suspected of maintaining direct or indirect connections with the gangs.

Officials said the ATS plans to question individuals who are allegedly connected to these gangsters, including those who are in contact with them through social media platforms or are believed to be followers or sympathisers of the networks.

According to investigative agencies, intelligence inputs received over a period of time indicated that gangsters operating from across the border were allegedly using social media to influence and recruit youths from Maharashtra into their criminal networks.

Officials claimed that these groups allegedly targeted local youths by luring them with promises of a luxurious lifestyle and financial gains in an attempt to expand their influence across different parts of the state.

The ATS operation is primarily focused on identifying sleeper cells, local operatives, and possible support systems connected to these gangs so that any potential arms smuggling or larger conspiracies can be prevented before taking shape, officials added.

Several ATS teams are currently involved in the extensive search and verification drive being conducted simultaneously across various cities and districts.

During the raids, ATS officials seized laptops, mobile phones, pen drives and other electronic gadgets from locations linked to the suspects as part of the ongoing investigation.

Investigators are also scrutinising the bank accounts and financial transactions of the suspects to determine whether any funds were allegedly being routed from Pakistan or other foreign locations through illegal hawala channels.

Officials said digital evidence recovered during the searches is being analysed to establish the extent of the alleged network and identify additional individuals who may have been in contact with the gangsters or associated modules.

The ATS has not yet disclosed the exact number of individuals being questioned or detained in connection with the operation.

Further investigation into the alleged activities and possible interstate or international links of the suspected network is currently underway, officials said.

The name of Pakistan-based gangster Bhatti has surfaced repeatedly in multiple investigations linked to terror recruitment, radicalisation, and espionage activities in India over the past several months. More than a dozen cases have reportedly been registered against him by various agencies.

Bhatti, a Lahore-based gangster, has allegedly been operating out of Dubai for several years while frequently travelling between Pakistan, the UAE and other countries in the Middle East, according to investigating agencies. With multiple cases linked to terror recruitment and radicalisation being registered against him, Indian agencies are now prioritising efforts to secure his extradition and bring him to trial.

–IANS

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