The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has launched a sweeping operation across Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad, targeting individuals allegedly connected to Pakistani gangster Shahzad Bhatti, who is believed to be functioning as a key operative of Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Multiple ATS teams conducted simultaneous raids across several locations in Maharashtra on 14 July, detaining a number of suspected individuals for questioning.

The Raids and What Triggered Them

According to the Maharashtra ATS, the operation was launched to dismantle a recruitment network allegedly run by Shahzad Bhatti and his associates. Intelligence inputs reportedly indicate that Bhatti has been operating this network inside India for several months, using social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram, Telegram, and WhatsApp to target and radicalise young people.

The ATS confirmed that searches are underway and that suspected persons are being questioned as part of the ongoing operation. Further details are awaited as the action continues.

Who Is Shahzad Bhatti

Bhatti has emerged, according to intelligence officials, as the ISI's latest instrument for a large-scale recruitment drive aimed at fuelling terrorism inside India. His network is described as methodical and deliberately low-profile — avoiding pan-India operations in favour of concentrated, state-by-state targeting.

An Intelligence Bureau official said Bhatti's network has a distinct operational signature. 'They are not indulging in pan-India recruitments. They are targeting youth from one state at a time, and this helps them evade the security agencies,' the official said.

A Shifting Strategy to Evade Detection

Bhatti reportedly follows a mobile recruitment strategy designed to stay one step ahead of security agencies. A few months ago, his focus was centred in Uttar Pradesh. Once intelligence agencies began closing in on his network there, operations shifted to Maharashtra. This pattern of geographic rotation, according to officials, is a deliberate tactic to prevent sustained surveillance.

Notably, this is not the first time Maharashtra has been targeted by ISI-linked recruitment networks — the state's large urban youth population and dense social media penetration make it a recurring focus for such operations.

What Happens Next

The Maharashtra ATS operation is ongoing, and authorities have not yet disclosed the number of individuals detained or the specific charges being considered. Security agencies are expected to share further details once the searches are concluded. The operation signals a broader inter-agency effort to map and neutralise ISI-linked recruitment pipelines before they can operationalise any planned activity inside India.