Joint ED and ATS Raids in Thane Target Suspected Terror Funding
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) conducted joint raids in Padgha, Thane district, on Thursday, targeting suspected terror funding activities. The raids were part of ongoing investigations into financial links to terrorism.
The operations were underway at Padgha in the Bhiwandi area since the early hours of Thursday, according to official sources. These raids are a continuation of earlier ATS operations that have been linked to former SIMI (Students Islamic Movement of India) office-bearer Saquib Nachan and other suspected members of the banned outfit.
The action was based on some earlier operations conducted by the ATS at Borivali village in Padgha. Residences of several suspects were being searched, and the ED was conducting inquiries about suspicious money transactions. The ATS was assisting the federal agency sleuths in the operations.
In June this year, the ATS, along with the Thane rural police, conducted a massive search at the residences of 22 persons, including Saquib Nachan, a former office-bearer of SIMI and other suspected members and sympathizers of the banned outfit. The ATS had seized 19 mobile phones and incriminating material and documents about radicalization during these operations.
Two years back, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) also carried out raids in Padgha in connection with some terror-related activities. Saquib Nachan, who had been arrested by the NIA from Padgha, died in June this year at a hospital in Delhi.
These raids highlight the ongoing efforts by law enforcement agencies to disrupt and dismantle networks involved in terror funding and radicalization. The coordination between the ED and ATS underscores the seriousness with which these operations are being conducted to ensure national security.
