Nationwide Raids Uncover ISIS-Linked Radicalisation, Illicit Funding Network

In a major operation targeting a suspected ISIS-linked network, enforcement agencies conducted extensive searches across nearly 40 locations spread over multiple states, including the Padgha-Borivali region near Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, Uttar Pradesh, and Maharashtra's Ratnagiri.

The action was initiated under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), following serious concerns over national security and the scale of the alleged financial operations.

The searches were carried out at premises linked to the accused individuals, their close associates, family members, and entities showing dubious financial connections or suspicious monetary transactions. Officials said the investigation stemmed from chargesheets filed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), which provided crucial grounds for launching the PMLA probe.

According to the findings so far, the individuals under investigation were part of a deeply radicalised ISIS-linked module involved in recruitment, training, procurement of weapons and explosives, and raising funds to sustain the organisation's activities. Their operations reportedly stretched across states, making the module both sophisticated and high-risk.

Intelligence inputs from the Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) further revealed a clandestine network engaged in the illegal cutting, smuggling, and sale of Khair (Kaith) wood. Investigators suspect that the proceeds from this illicit trade were diverted towards financing extremist activities, adding another layer to the group's revenue generation mechanisms.

Officials said the searches aim to uncover the full extent of the financial trail, identify all beneficiaries, and dismantle the ecosystem supporting the terror module. The investigation remains ongoing.