Mumbai: The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has detained nine persons from Mumbra and Aurangabad for their suspected links with the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
According to sources, the investigating agency carried out the operation for three days starting from Sunday.
The ATS got its first lead while following the activities of a man, who was on his way to Aurangabad from Mumbra in Thane district. The agency detained him and, on questioning him, got leads about eight other persons, who were picked up from the two towns.
A senior officer of the ATS said, “So far, from the interrogation of the suspects and searches at various places, we suspect that they were involved in anti-state activities. Further investigation is on. We are still carrying out several searches at various places across the state.”
According to ATS sources, the nine men had links with the Kerala-based Popular Front of India as well as ISIS.
Security agencies have been put on high alert ahead of the Republic Day. There have been multiple intelligence inputs regarding sleeper cells of terror groups around Mumbai and other parts of the state, said the source. While working on one such input, the ATS stumbled upon two sleeper cells in Mumbra and Aurangabad and the nine suspects were part of them, the source said.
