Delhi Police Foil Major ISI-Backed Terror Plot: 7 Operatives of Pakistan-Linked Syndicate Arrested in Delhi-NCR

A major cross-border terror plot has been intercepted in the national capital. The Delhi Police Special Cell’s Eastern Range team has dismantled a high-profile international terrorist-crime syndicate tied directly to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

The operation led to the arrest of seven operatives linked to Pakistan-based gangster-turned-terrorist Shahzad Bhatti and his close associate, Ajmal Gujjar. Officials confirmed the timely crackdown successfully neutralized imminent terrorist strikes, weapon shipments, and narcotics smuggling networks across the Delhi-National Capital Region (NCR).

Direct Directives from Pakistan: The Syndicate's Visual Blueprint

According to authorities, the module operated under explicit instructions from handlers in Pakistan. Their objectives included executing terror strikes, trafficking weapons and drugs, and gathering critical intelligence on potential targets.

The syndicate smuggled advanced firearms, ammunition, and high-grade narcotics like heroin from Pakistan into India via the Punjab border, later distributing them throughout Delhi-NCR.

Investigations revealed that members of the module, acting on orders from Bhatti and Gujjar, had conducted extensive reconnaissance of crowded public spaces, vital installations, and sites associated with religious leaders in Delhi-NCR. The operatives captured detailed photographs and videos of these locations, transmitting the data directly to their handlers in Pakistan. Police noted that several regional religious leaders were explicitly targeted to trigger communal tension, incite panic, and create a widespread atmosphere of fear.

To map out and dismantle the network, the Special Cell relied on precise intelligence, technical surveillance, mobile data analysis, and ground-level tracking.

Profile of the Seven Arrested Operatives

The seven individuals taken into custody have been identified as:

• Anas alias Anas Tyagi (26): A resident of Loni, Ghaziabad, with three prior criminal cases. He had been in consistent communication with Ajmal Gujjar and Shahzad Bhatti in Pakistan since November 2025.
• Mohit alias Yogi (26): A resident of Loni, Ghaziabad, who maintained direct contact with Ajmal Gujjar.
• Deepak alias Deepak Agrola: A resident of Techno City, Ghaziabad, with a history of 23 criminal cases, including murder, attempt to murder, robbery, and charges under the Gangsters Act.
• Arif alias Pradhan: A resident of Loni, facing prior charges under the Arms Act and the NDPS Act.
• Karanveer Singh: A resident of Fatehgarh Sahib, Punjab, with a previous case registered under the NDPS Act.
• Jatan: A resident of Techno City, who faces prior cases involving attempt to murder.
• Sabir: A resident of Loni, Ghaziabad.

During the operation, law enforcement seized five sophisticated semi-automatic pistols, 41 live cartridges, and seven mobile phones containing incriminating chats and voice notes linked to Bhatti and Gujjar. Additionally, officers confiscated a Scorpio vehicle and uncovered records of multiple bank accounts utilized to move the financial proceeds of their weapon and drug sales.

Social Media Recruitment and Drone Deliveries

The investigation highlights how Shahzad Bhatti and Ajmal Gujjar systematically used social media platforms and encrypted messaging applications to spot and recruit vulnerable Indian youth. By offering substantial monetary rewards and promises of quick financial gains, they drew recruits into a dangerous web of arms supply, surveillance, drug trafficking, and active terror operations.

The breakthrough came in May 2026, when the Special Cell received actionable intelligence that Bhatti and Gujjar were actively coordinating an imminent strike in Delhi-NCR. Following the lead, police arrested Mohit near the Bhagirath Water Treatment Plant in Yamuna Vihar. An illegal pistol, four live cartridges, and a mobile phone were recovered from his possession. A digital forensic review of his phone exposed direct communications with Ajmal Gujjar. Under interrogation, Mohit confessed that he and his associates were tasked with smuggling weapons and narcotics.

Further probes established that these weapon and drug consignments were dropped from Pakistan into Punjab using unmanned drones. Module members, including Anas and Karanveer Singh, travelled to Punjab to receive these shipments and transport them back to Delhi-NCR. Interrogations also confirmed that the network monitored public places, sensitive sites, and religious figures under Bhatti's explicit commands, sending the media files back to Pakistan.

Evolution from Local Criminals to Terror Operatives

Senior officials emphasized that the timely intervention prevented a major security crisis. Several of the accused started as local criminals using illegal firearms for routine intimidation. However, after establishing contact with Ajmal Gujjar through social media, the group rapidly evolved into a structured terrorist network dealing in international arms and drug trafficking.

For instance, Arif had previously purchased a Zigana pistol from Ajmal Gujjar for approximately ₹1 lakh, routing the payment through multiple UPI accounts. The network subsequently scaled up its operations to smuggle heroin and chitta. The probe also brought to light that gangster Deepak Agrola continued to assist the syndicate from inside prison. Using a smuggled mobile phone, Agrola contacted Ajmal Gujjar through Anas and helped coordinate incoming weapon shipments.

The Delhi Police Special Cell is actively pursuing the remaining absconding suspects, tracking additional arms and narcotics suppliers, and investigating the broader network of Pakistan-based handlers.
 

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