Indian security agencies have arrested 700 individuals linked to proscribed terrorist Shahzad Bhatti, dismantling a wide-ranging subversion network whose planned operations included covert surveillance installations at crowded locations, targeted killings, and cross-border drug and counterfeit currency trafficking, officials said on 6 November 2026. Despite the crackdown, intelligence authorities have warned that the Bhatti module is actively regrouping — this time with a sharper religious recruitment pitch.

Scale of the Crackdown

The dismantling of the Bhatti network is described by officials as one of the most operationally demanding counter-terror campaigns undertaken by Indian investigative agencies in recent memory. Around 700 people have so far been arrested on suspicion of working for the network, with the operations thwarting plans to place CCTV cameras at sensitive public spaces, execute targeted killings, and facilitate the trafficking of drugs and fake currency.

An official confirmed that while the primary operational grid has been largely broken, a cat-and-mouse pursuit of remaining operatives is ongoing. The challenge extends to social media: over 100 takedown requests for Instagram profiles linked to the network have been sent to Meta. “As the profiles are being taken down, over 50 new ones appear. This is, in fact, a big challenge for the agencies,” the official said.

From Lifestyle Lures to Religious Fervour

An Intelligence Bureau official explained that the network’s original recruitment model was explicitly non-religious. Youth from across communities were drawn in with cash incentives as low as ₹5,000 and shown photographs of Bhatti and his associates alongside expensive cars and luxury homes. “The handlers sold a dream to the youth, and this worked massively,” the official said, adding that those promises were never intended to be fulfilled.

Now, according to officials, Bhatti is pivoting. The new strategy deliberately combines religious identity, money, and lifestyle incentives, with religion taking centre stage. “This is a deliberate ploy. By invoking religious sentiments, the amount of money offered to recruits would be relatively small. The idea is to exploit the religious sentiments of young people during the recruitment process,” an official said. Cash offers as low as ₹3,000 to ₹5,000 are being paired with promises of relocation to Dubai, Pakistan, or Nepal.

Investigations have also revealed that the network has arranged fake passports for several recruits to enable flight from India following planned attacks. Officials characterised the overarching goal as building not merely a network, but “an army of youths who would fight for a religious cause.”

Bhatti’s Movements and Current Status

Intelligence agencies tracking Shahzad Bhatti said that following the initial crackdown and his designation as a proscribed terrorist under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), Bhatti was relocated to Pakistan. However, he has since travelled to Dubai and Portugal in recent months and remains actively involved in overseeing the module and devising fresh operational strategies targeting India, according to officials.

Linked Attacks and Expanded Operational Scope

Investigators have linked the Bhatti network to a series of attacks, including assaults targeting police personnel in Punjab, the blast outside the Border Security Force (BSF) headquarters in Jalandhar, and a petrol bomb attack on the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) headquarters in Jharkhand. Officials warned that planned future operations follow a similar pattern but on a significantly larger scale.

Radicalisation and anti-India messaging are expected to continue through platforms such as Instagram, while planning and execution of high-intensity attacks will reportedly shift to encrypted platforms such as Telegram. The network’s brief, once limited to surveillance and trafficking, has expanded considerably as it seeks to rebuild.