Mumbai ATS arrests Huzaifa, key aide of alleged D-Company operative Munna Jhingada

Mumbai: In a significant breakthrough in its ongoing crackdown on a suspected terror-underworld network, the Mumbai Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested Huzaifa, an alleged close associate of Munna Jhingada, a Mumbai-born gangster believed to have links with the D-Company syndicate and Pakistan-based handlers.

The arrest comes amid a wider investigation into an alleged terror conspiracy that recently came to light following the arrests of several suspects by the Delhi Police Special Cell. Investigating agencies are probing a suspected nexus involving underworld operatives, terror elements and foreign-based handlers allegedly working to destabilise the country.

According to sources, Huzaifa is suspected to have played an important role in facilitating communication and coordination between local operatives and handlers operating from outside India. Investigators believe he was part of a network that was being used to recruit individuals, gather information and provide logistical support for activities linked to the conspiracy.

Security agencies suspect that Munna Jhingada, who is believed to be operating from Pakistan, was attempting to use his criminal network to support anti-national activities through trusted associates based in India. Huzaifa is alleged to have been one such associate who maintained contact with key members of the network.

Officials are also examining whether the accused and other suspects conducted reconnaissance of sensitive locations in Mumbai and nearby areas. Electronic devices recovered during the investigation are being analysed for digital evidence, including chats, call records, financial transactions and other communication that could reveal the extent of the network’s operations.

The arrest is being viewed as a crucial development in the investigation into the alleged underworld-terror nexus. Agencies are now trying to determine whether more individuals were recruited into the module and whether similar networks were operating in other parts of Maharashtra and the country.

Investigators are also looking into the possible role of Pakistan’s intelligence agency, the ISI, which has frequently been accused by Indian agencies of attempting to use criminal syndicates and local operatives to carry out anti-India activities.

With Huzaifa now in custody, agencies are expected to intensify questioning and expand the probe to identify other conspirators, financiers and handlers linked to the network. Officials believe the arrest could help uncover critical details about the alleged links between organised crime syndicates and terror operatives working against India’s security interests.