Mumbai, July 13: The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad is tracking financial transactions sent by Pakistan-based gangster Shahzad Bhatti to local youths who were allegedly lured through online networks. Minister of State for Home Pankaj Bhoyar announced on Monday that investigators are scrutinizing the bank accounts of several individuals to measure the full depth of the cross-border operation.
The investigation aims to uncover how deeply the suspects were pulled into anti-national activities after getting trapped through popular online accounts. Security teams are currently reviewing mobile data to determine the duration and true purpose of these communications.
Initial findings indicate that some interactions happened entirely by chance rather than deliberate intent. “Not all detained youths were in contact with Bhatti knowingly,” Pankaj Bhoyar stated while describing the ongoing digital audit.
The operation follows a coordinated sweep last week where the agency questioned over a hundred individuals across various districts. Authorities recovered several communication devices during the security actions to separate casual social media contacts from serious operatives. “The ATS became aware of the funds Bhatti allegedly transferred into the bank accounts of the youth,” Bhoyar asserted, confirming that the digital data will help map out the entire network.
