ATS detains alleged ISI agent from Pydhonie in joint operation

Mumbai: In a joint operation, the Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra ATS detained an ISI agent from Mumbai’s Pydhonie area on Wednesday. The investigators claimed he provided financial help to other ISI agents who are working in India. Early on Wednesday, the Uttar Pradesh ATS team unearthed an espionage racket by arresting a suspected ISI agent Aftab Ali from Faizabad.

After Aftab’s arrest, officials found some financial transaction from one Altaf Qureshi, who was staying at Pydhonie. The ATS teams detained Altaf from his house on Wednesday evening and are interrogating him.  Altaf is a native of Rajkot, Gujarat, but he was residing at Pydhonie. According to sources he had conducted several hawala transaction and sent money to other agents in India and abroad. Recently, Altaf had given lakhs of rupees to Aftab. Sources said that the ATS has seized Rs 70 lakh from his home in Pydhonie.

The detention comes days after intelligence inputs had warned of a possible terror attack in the state by ISI-trained terrorists. Investigators claimed that Aftab received training from the ISI in Pakistan and was in constant touch with officials from the Pakistan high commission, the spokesman said, adding that the ATS was in possession of strong evidence against him.

ATS officials from UP said, "Aftab had gathered information of several army cantonment areas and defence establishments in the state."