UP ATS thwarts terror plot, arrests 2 gangsters for inciting youth under influence of Pakistani handlers, ISI

NOIDA: The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad on Thursday arrested two gangsters operating under the direct influence of Pakistan-based handlers and the ISI in Noida. The suspects, identified as twenty-year-olds Tushar Chauhan, alias Hizbullah Ali Khan, and Samir Khan, were caught with a pistol, live ammunition, and a knife.

The action followed intelligence that these gangsters, acting on the instructions of the ISI, were attempting to compromise India’s internal security. They had been collaborating with terrorist organisations and gangsters to incite Indian youth through Instagram and various social media platforms, according to ATS.

The two terrorists worked with gangsters Shahzad Bhatti and Abid Jatt and aimed to create sleeper cells to execute targeted killings and reconnaissance of sensitive locations.

Uttar Pradesh: 2 terrorists working for Pakistani gangsters and ISI were arrested by the UP-ATS (Anti-Terror Squad). pic.twitter.com/xhsJ4JYrPU

— ANI (@ANI) April 24, 2026

According to UP ATS, Bhatti allegedly offered Tushar a sum of Rs 3,00,000, a portion of which was paid in advance, and promised him a passport and safe passage to Pakistan via Dubai after the completion of the attacks. These assignments were not just the work of criminals but were linked to ISI agents referred to as Major Hamid, Major Iqbal, and Major Anwar, who allegedly facilitated the delivery of the recovered weapons and funds.

Simultaneously, the second suspect, Samir Khan, was tasked with expanding the reach of a radical entity dubbed “Tehrik-e-Taliban Hindustan”, or TTH. His role involved recruitment and the use of graffiti to spread propaganda and fear.

In light of these findings, a formal case has been registered at the ATS Police Station in Lucknow under various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, the Arms Act, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The charges specifically address criminal conspiracy, acts endangering national sovereignty, and the illegal possession of weapons. As the legal proceedings move forward, the ATS is seeking police custody remand to further investigate the local support network and uncover additional sleeper cells linked to the “Tehrik-e-Taliban Hindustan” module. (ANI)