New Delhi: Delhi Police Special Cell on Tuesday said it has dismantled a significant Pakistan-backed terror and criminal network operating in the national capital and arrested seven people in connection with the probe.
Police identified the handlers as Shahzad Bhatti and his associate Ajmal Gujjar, both based in Pakistan, and said the arrested members were operating at their direction. The syndicate is accused of smuggling illegal firearms, ammunition and narcotics from across the border via Punjab and distributing them throughout Delhi-NCR.
Police recovered five pistols, 41 live cartridges, seven mobile phones and a Scorpio SUV during searches, as reported by DNA. Investigators said the group relied on social media to recruit young people, enticing them with promises of quick money and the glamour of the underworld before pulling them into arms and drug trafficking.
The individuals arrested have been identified as Anas, Mohit, Deepak, Arif, Karanveer Singh, Jatan, and Sabir, as reported by ETV.
Police said the Special Cell received actionable intelligence in May 2026 indicating that Bhatti and Gujjar were planning major criminal and terror-related operations in the Delhi-NCR area. Acting on that information, police set a trap that led to the arrest of Mohit alias Yogi. Illegal weapons and material allegedly linking him to Pakistan-based handlers were recovered from him.
Interrogation of the arrested suspects revealed that members of the network had conducted reconnaissance of several strategic locations in Delhi, Ghaziabad and nearby areas. The probe further found that consignments of weapons and narcotics were reportedly being dropped in Punjab from Pakistan using drones, after which network operatives retrieved and transported the goods to Delhi-NCR.
Police records show several people arrested in the case have prior criminal histories, including charges related to murder, attempted murder, robbery, violations of the Arms Act and cases under the NDPS Act. The Special Cell said searches are ongoing to track down absconding associates, suppliers of weapons and those suspected of financing the operation.
