They Wanted A Life Of Luxury. But Ended Up In A Pakistani Terror Network

Two men in Gujarat say they were drawn towards a network linked by investigators to Pakistani terrorist Shahzad Bhatti through something that has become an essential part of everyday life -- social media.

One, a 29-year-old gym trainer, followed Bhatti on Instagram for nearly two years, believing he was a social media influencer. The other, a 19-year-old clothing-store worker, was attracted by reels promising money, expensive cars and a luxurious lifestyle.

Both were intercepted by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad before, according to their accounts, they were given a task to carry out.

Shahzad Bhatti is from Pakistan's Punjab province and is around 45 years old. Agencies say he has a criminal record in Pakistan.

Inputs cited by the agencies say cases involving theft and robbery were registered against him around 2013. He was subsequently accused in more serious cases.

Around 2015, agencies say, he left Pakistan for Dubai. There, he was involved in the scrap and dairy businesses and allegedly came into contact with the Farooq Khokar gang. It was in Dubai, according to Indian agencies, that Bhatti began producing social-media videos using the alias "333".

Speaking to NDTV, Indian agencies say Bhatti's network attempts to recruit young people, beginning with an Instagram reel or message, building contact, offering money or a better life, and eventually connecting recruits to handlers.

The two men told NDTV they did not initially understand who they were communicating with.

Social Media To Terror Networks

On Monday, Home Minister Amit Shah said better coordination among security agencies had resulted in the dismantling of more than 40 modules of the Shahzad Bhatti network involved in the cross-border smuggling of weapons, explosives and narcotics. More than 100 FIRs had been registered and 350 people arrested across 15 states, he said.

The Centre has also declared the Shahzad Bhatti network a terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, or UAPA.

According to agencies, Bhatti uses social media and his online presence to identify and approach young people. The process, they say, begins with private messages. Once communication is established, young people are allegedly offered money, a luxurious lifestyle or the prospect of travelling abroad.

Recruit No.1

The first man is 29 years old and from Bargaon in Gujarat. He studied until Class 12 and lives with his parents and brother. His father is in the real estate business. The young man had worked as a gym trainer for about five years and was active on social media.

Around one-and-a-half to two years ago, he began seeing reels posted by Shahzad Bhatti on Instagram. At the time, he said, he did not know that the man he was following was accused by agencies of running a terrorist network.

He followed Bhatti, liked his posts and left comments. After about a year and a half, according to his account, Bhatti contacted him directly.

"His reel appeared on Instagram, and I thought he might be a social media influencer. He looked like a celebrity. I followed him for a while, then messaged him. There was no reply to the message; I just received a 'Salaam' reply. I greeted him, and asked 'Where are you from?' That was all we talked about. There was no further conversation," the man told NDTV.

 The recruits spoke with NDTV's Mukesh Singh Sengar.

The man said he was arrested by the Gujarat ATS the following day.

"Then the very next day, I was arrested and brought to the office. I was kept there all day and thoroughly interrogated. Then I was told not to do this. I wasn't given any task, and the officer told me to inform him if I received any such messages or calls," he said. "I used to be active on Instagram, but now I have stopped using it. He had a voice similar to Shahzad Bhatti's. I only heard him in a message, an audio message. He asked where I was from and I replied with a greeting. That was all we talked about; nothing further."

"I had been following him for a year and a half or two years. His reels were coming up, and he was watching them. I didn't know it at the time. I liked and commented on his posts. Then I was brought here, and then I found out he was a terrorist," he added. 

He said he had mistaken Bhatti for an influencer because of his appearance and the material he posted.

"I thought he was a social media influencer, he looked like a hero. He was talking about Islamic things, as if he was a Maulana, and he was saying such things on Instagram," he said. 

The ATS subsequently advised him not to respond if he received similar messages.

"After I was arrested, Bhatti never contacted me. I gave him everything, including my Instagram and WhatsApp details. If Bhatti contacts me again, we will inform him," he said. 

"I will tell all young people in the future that if they receive such messages, do not listen to them and inform the nearest police station or police. I want to tell everyone not to listen to them. I have not seen anything like this since then. I am not very active on social media anymore. I was before. I was not given any tasks. I want to tell the youth to remain loyal to the country. You have to live in the country where you eat. Be loyal to the country and take care of your family. Your family also suffers for your mistakes," he added.

Recruit No.2

The second case involved a 19-year-old man from Valsad in Gujarat who has studied until Class 8 and has worked at a clothing store for about three years. He lives with his parents and sister.

His contact with the network began in April this year while he was scrolling through Instagram reels. Unlike the first man, he was not initially following Bhatti because he believed him to be an influencer. Instead, he encountered content presenting an image of wealth, expensive cars, large houses and a luxurious lifestyle. He said the reels suggested that viewers could earn money by making contact.

 "I was scrolling through Instagram reels when I saw them asking me to contact you to earn money. So I saw them on Instagram, etc. They were showing off stylish people, expensive cars, expensive houses, etc. So I thought I could achieve something like them," he told NDTV. 

"They had expensive cars, a Dubai-esque house, a swimming pool, and so on. They were talking on the phone and making videos in their big cars. So, I saw them and contacted them," he added. "I said 'Hi' and they replied, 'Where are you from?' I then told them my full location and so on. They even took my ID and said they would call me back."

"Then, within 2-3 days, I received a call saying, 'Don't worry, you'll be given some work.' I spoke with them three times. The first time, they took my entire call, asking what I do, etc., and the second time they said, 'Don't worry, you'll be given a task'," he told NDTV.

The third interaction he said was a group call but he was muted. There were four people on the call, but he remembers only one name.

"The third time, it was a group call. I was muted. They were talking inside. There were four members in the group. I only remember one name: Abid Jatt. I didn't speak to Shahzad Bhatti," he said.  "It had only been a week since I contacted him. I joined out of greed. When I had some free time, I would check social media. There were calls for money, and it said, 'If you want to earn money like me, join my group.'"

But before he was given a task, the Gujarat ATS intervened. First, he was taken by the local Special Operations Group, or SOG, in his district. He was subsequently brought before the Gujarat ATS.

"I had no idea who Abid Jatt was. If I had known, I wouldn't have contacted him. I had no idea who Shahzad Bhatti was. But now I know he's a terrorist," he said.  "After that incident, they never contacted me again. No notifications came back. Their mobile number was a foreign number. The number was on their ID. I spoke to them on that number only, not on Instagram. I don't know what they were talking about in the group. I was muted. After coming here, I told them I'd made a mistake. They told me not to do it again."