ATS arrests 9 from Thane, Aurangabad with suspected ISIS links
After weeks of surveillance and evidence gathering, ATS officials arrested the terror suspects before they could swing into action (Representational Image, Courtesy: sancharpati.com)
Ahead of Republic Day, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested nine people from Thane and Aurangabad with alleged links to international terror outfit ISIS.
The nine terror suspects, all part of a group, were nabbed by ATS teams over the last two days.
According to an ATS official, the agency received specific inputs about their activities, following which they started keeping an eye on them.
After weeks of surveillance and gathering evidence, officials arrested the suspects before they could swing into action.
“When it was revealed that the group is likely to swing into action, the ATS formed about a dozen teams and carried out well-equipped searches and seizures at 5 different locations in Mumbra, district Thane and Aurangabad simultaneously during the intervening night and early morning Tuesday,” the ATS said in a press statement.
The searches were conducted at Amrut Nagar, Kausa, Moti Baug and Almas Colony areas in Thane’s Mumbra and in Aurangabad’s Kaisar Colony, Rahat Colony and Damdi Mahal areas. Five individuals were nabbed from Mumbra and four from Aurangabad.
During the searches, the ATS sleuths seized certain chemicals, acid bottles, sharp knives, mobile phones, hard disks and some SIM cards from the group.
The accused, all aged between 17 and 35 years, have been booked under Indian Penal Code’s Section 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) and relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Bombay Police Act.
Further investigation in the case is underway.
