Delhi Police Special Cell dismantles ISI-Dawood nexus, nine arrested
Delhi Police Special Cell dismantled a highly organised cross-border terror module. This group was sponsored by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and operated through global terrorist Dawood Ibrahim’s D-Company. They planned coordinated suicide bombings, vehicle-borne IED attacks, and fidayeen-style assaults. Their targets were high-value sites in Delhi and Mumbai.
After months of close surveillance and intelligence gathering, the Special Cell arrested all nine key operatives on Saturday. Officials stated this stopped an ‘imminent’ attack on Delhi and Mumbai. Special Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Anil Shukla described the gravity of the threat.
“The accused were asked to use hand grenades and to fire at security personnel,” he said. “Videos of strategic locations were found on their phones. Government offices and key security sites were among the module’s targets. The attack on Delhi was imminent. They were ready.”
The nine arrested are from Delhi, Mumbai (Maharashtra), and Punjab. At least one is a confirmed Nepali citizen. Others of Nepali origin acted as facilitators. Key figures identified in the probe include Kashmir-origin operatives Muzammil Shakeel Ganai and Adeel Ahmed Rather, as well as Adeel Ahmed Rather’s brother, Muzaffar Ahmed Rather. Mufti Irfan Ahmad Wagay and Uttar Pradesh resident Shaheen Saeed are also named. Several have past ties to Al-Falah University-linked networks.
Investigators have linked the arrested men directly to four Pakistan-based handlers, including Shahzad Bhatti. Mumbai underworld hitman Munna Jhingada, an aide of Dawood Ibrahim, managed the module’s finances and logistics. Delhi Police have detained more suspects for questioning. Officials say further arrests are likely as the investigation continues.
Communication took place through encrypted WhatsApp groups. Members shared geo-tagged reconnaissance videos of targets. The module had conducted intensive surveillance in Delhi and Mumbai.
They explicitly shortlisted targets: Nuclear installations, major airports, railway stations, power plants, Government offices, security buildings, and crowded religious or public places in central Delhi, Shukla said.
Their plans included suicide bombings, grenade attacks, and mass shootings at security personnel. The group had finalised logistics and awaited their handlers’ signal when the Special Cell intervened. The raids netted a significant cache of weapons, including several hand grenades. Investigators found sophisticated explosives in their possession, while some were traced to Pakistan-origin consignments. They also discovered Pakistan-made cartridges, assorted firearms, and advanced ammunition.
Digital evidence included videos and geo-tags of every target. Police teams are now analysing the explosive materials and investigating the smuggling routes, believed to involve drone drops or hawala couriers.
“Specific intelligence inputs revealed ISI had revived its “white-collar” terror infrastructure along with D-Company, aiming to exploit urban vulnerabilities. Pakistani intelligence operatives cultivated the module over a prolonged period”, Shujla said. A detailed multi-agency investigation is ongoing on Hawala networks, youth recruitment, logistical support, sleeper cells, and command chains linking Pakistani handlers to street-level operatives, he added.
The National Security alert has been escalated. Police in Delhi and Mumbai are on maximum alert. All sensitive sites, including the Red Fort (scene of last year’s vehicle-borne IED attack that killed 15), airports, and religious sites, now have extra paramilitary forces. Central agencies like NIA, IB, and RAW are coordinating with state units.
The bust coincides with new intelligence about Pakistan-based groups reviving terror infrastructure. This follows recent setbacks, including last month’s deportation and arrest of Dawood’s lieutenant, Mohammad Salim Dola, from Turkey.
Security experts call this a textbook case of ISI-underworld convergence, as India warned on global forums. Investigations continue, and India’s counter-terror forces remain vigilant, but the Pakistan-based threat persists.
Major Crackdown
- This group was sponsored by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and operated through global terrorist Dawood Ibrahim’s D-Company
- Their plans included suicide bombings, grenade attacks, and mass shootings at security personnel
- Police discovered Pakistan-made cartridges, assorted firearms, and advanced ammunition
- Police in Delhi-Mumbai are on maximum alert
- The bust coincides with new intelligence about Pakistan-based groups reviving terror infrastructure
