Delhi Police arrest seven and bust Pakistan-backed terror syndicate

The Delhi Police Special Cell has dismantled an international Pakistan-backed terror and crime syndicate plotting attacks in the national capital, following a key arrest near the Bhagirath Water Treatment Plant in Yamuna Vihar. The counter-terrorism operation, reported on June 16, 2026, resulted in the arrest of seven operatives and the recovery of sophisticated firearms, ammunition, and digital evidence.

The busted network was allegedly operated by gangster-turned-terrorist Shahzad Bhatti and his associate Ajmal Gujjar under the patronage of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). According to the police, the syndicate aimed to target religious leaders and strategic locations in Delhi-NCR to disrupt communal harmony and create fear.

The operation was executed by the Eastern Range team of the Special Cell, led by Inspectors Rahul Kumar, Vineet Kumar Tewatia, and Ajit Kumar, under the supervision of ACP Kailash Singh Bisht.

The breakthrough occurred after the Special Cell received intelligence that Bhatti and Gujjar were conspiring to execute attacks in Delhi-NCR using locally recruited youths. Acting on this information, officers apprehended Mohit alias Yogi, 26, near the Bhagirath Water Treatment Plant. Police recovered an illegal pistol, four live cartridges, and a mobile phone with incriminating messages from Mohit's possession.

Subsequent questioning of Mohit led investigators to arrest six more members of the syndicate. The other arrested individuals were identified as Anas alias Anas Tyagi (26), Deepak Agrola (38), Arif alias Pradhan (30), Jatan (29), and Sabir (30), all from Ghaziabad in Uttar Pradesh, and Karanveer Singh (26) from Fatehgarh Sahib in Punjab. Investigators noted that Deepak Agrola faces 23 criminal cases, including murder and dacoity, in Uttar Pradesh.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Narra Chaitanya, the syndicate smuggled weapons, ammunition, and narcotics from Pakistan through Punjab using drone deliveries. The contraband was then distributed across Delhi and the National Capital Region.

The operatives allegedly conducted reconnaissance of potential targets, sending photographs and videos of sensitive establishments to their Pakistan-based handlers. The network relied on encrypted communication channels, anonymous social media accounts, disposable mobile numbers, hawala channels, and dead-drop delivery mechanisms to evade law enforcement.