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TTP, ISKP, LeJ and others eye escalated attacks amid Pakistan army’s vulnerability

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New Delhi, Oct 21: The Pakistan army has been caught in several embarrassing situations in recent times. While Operation Sindoor exposed the fault lines within the Pakistan army, it has suffered huge casualties at the hands of terrorist groups, all of which it created.

Pakistan may have entered into a delicate truce with the Taliban, but many question how long it will last. The rate at which the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has created losses for the army has now emboldened other terror groups to take on the establishment.

Pakistan watchers and security experts say that there are many outfits which want the establishment thrown out. The TTP, Lashkar-e-Jhangvi (LeJ) and the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) want the rule of Islam established in Pakistan and the establishment to be overthrown.

The LeJ has focused largely on sectarian violence and has targeted the religious minority. It is not in the good books of the establishment, and in the near future, it could expand the scope of its attacks.

It has in the past carried out attacks against the Pakistan establishment, and the worry for Islamabad now is that the LeJ could go back to aligning either with the ISKP or TTP. The LeJ has, in the past, aligned with both these groups separately and hence a repeat of this cannot be ruled out. The ISKP, which was roped in Pakistan to fight against the TTP and Afghan Taliban, may not take a backseat due to the prevailing truce.

The ISKP had primarily joined hands with the Pakistan establishment to battle against the Afghan Taliban. However, if both sides have made peace, then the ISKP may back out. It is more likely that the ISKP may join hands with the LeJ rather than the TTP. The TTP is perceived to have the support of the Afghan Taliban.

Moreover, the ISKP was formed by former members of the TTP, and hence, the two coming together is difficult. Whether or not these groups come together or not, they are well aware of the weakness within the Pakistan army.

Intelligence Bureau officials say that, as per their assessment, even if these groups fight individually, they are in the days to come scale up attacks against the establishment. Pakistan is not even in a position to seek the support of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba or Jaish-e-Mohammad to battle against these groups. The Jaish-e-Mohammad has had a blow-hot, blow-cold relationship with the establishment. Further, if it is asked to fight against the TTP, the outfit may witness a split.

The Jaish-e-Mohammad is sympathetic towards both the Afghan Taliban and TTP and hence may not join the establishment. The case of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba is similar. While this outfit has never rebelled against the establishment, there was a chance of a major split when Pakistan was helping the US in the war in Afghanistan. Many cadres were unhappy with this stance and had even threatened to walk away and join the Taliban in Afghanistan.

While the threat of these groups spiralling out of control looms large, the Pakistan army has other problems, and that is in Balochistan.

The Baloch groups are driven by ethnic nationalism and secular separatism. They are seeking an independent proving. The Baloch groups in recent years have caused immense embarrassment to the Pakistan army. They have primarily targeted Chinese nationals and investments apart from the army. These groups too have realised that the army is weak and with Pakistan battling on many fronts, it would gear up for a bigger fight in Balochistan also.




Maharashtra

Accused involved in smuggling “MD” and “MDMA Plus” drugs arrested in Mumbai.

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The Mumbai Anti-Narcotics Cell (ANC) has claimed the arrest of a drug dealer involved in MD smuggling, charging him under Sections 8(c) and 22(c) of the NDPS Act. The accused was apprehended in Jogeshwari after being spotted under suspicious circumstances. The following items were seized from his possession:
1) Three MDMA pills weighing a total of 2.04 grams (estimated value: ₹88,000)
2) MD (Mephedrone) weighing a total of 417 grams (estimated value: ₹1,25,10,000)
3) Fifty Indian currency notes of ₹500 denomination (total cash: ₹25,000)
4) One used Apple iPhone 15 (estimated value: ₹20,000)
*The total estimated value of the seized items is ₹1,26,43,000. On September 11, the Azad Maidan Unit of the ANC (Crime Branch) was patrolling the Jogeshwari area when they received credible information that an individual was selling drugs from his residence. Acting on this tip-off, the ANC team raided the suspect’s home and recovered the aforementioned contraband. Case property recovered during the personal search of the said individual: 1) Three “MDMA tablets” weighing a total of 2.04 grams (estimated value: Rs. 88,000); 2) “MD” drug weighing 210 grams (estimated value: Rs. 6,300,000); 3) One used Apple iPhone 15 (estimated value: Rs. 20,000). Case property recovered during the search of the said individual’s residence: 4) “MD” drug weighing 207 grams (estimated value: Rs. 6,210,000); 5) Fifty Indian currency notes of Rs. 500 denomination (total cash: Rs. 25,000). The total estimated value of the recovered case property is Rs. 12,643,000. The ANC squad (Azad Maidan Unit) has arrested the said individual and registered a case (Case No. 85/2026) under Sections 8(c) and 21(c) of the NDPS Act, 1985. This successful operation was carried out by Deven Bharti (Police Commissioner, Mumbai), Anil Kumbhare (Joint Commissioner of Police – Crime), Krishnakant Upadhyay (Additional Commissioner of Police – Crime), and Poornima Chougule-Shringi (Deputy Commissioner of Police, ANC Squad, Crime Branch).

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Maharashtra

Andheri: Former Company Driver Hatches Income Tax Raid Conspiracy; All 10 Gang Members Arrested for Demanding ₹1 Crore Weekly by Posing as Officials

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Mumbai: Police has unmasked a fake officer and gang who had raided an Income Tax office in Andheri, Mumbai, in the style of the movie Special 26, held the owner and employees hostage, snatched their mobile phones and held the staff hostage. According to the Income Tax and Crime Branch officials, the police have exposed the gang who had conducted a fake raid and demanded a salary of Rs 1 crore and have also claimed to have arrested the absconding accused. According to the brief details of the said case, there was a dispute between the complainant, Rajkumar Kandasamy, aged 49, who was previously employed as a driver by Santosh Uday Khopatkar and the complainant. Due to this, the complainant fired Santosh Khopatkar from his job without paying him 06 months’ salary. Angered by this, Santosh Uday Khopatkar, using the information he had about the complainant, along with 06 men and 3 women acquaintances, formed a criminal conspiracy and falsely claimed to be government officers and employees of the Income Tax and Crime Branch Department and illegally entered the office owned by the complainant. He also abducted the complainant and his wife by showing fake government identity cards and snatched the mobile phones of the complainant, his wife and 10 other employees of the office and illegally prevented them from leaving the office and abused them by threatening them with legal action by the Income Tax Department. Also, a sum of Rs. 1 crore was sought to avert the action. Therefore, the complainant filed a legal complaint against the above-mentioned unknown persons and after noting their detailed statement, a case was registered under Sections 61(2), 204, 205, 233, 140(2), 127(1), 351(2), 308(4) of the Indian Penal Code, 2023.

The accused in the said case have been arrested on the basis of technical investigation. The arrested accused are 1) Santosh Uday Khopatkar, aged 37 years, 2) Vinay Ramesh More, aged 37 years, 3) Prem Kisan Sabnani, aged 50 years, 4) Pragya Harish Main, aged 27 years, 5) Reshma Shamrao Waring, aged 41 years, 6) Shabnia Hafeez Sheikh, aged 48 years. During the interrogation of the said arrested accused, it was found that accused Nos. 7 and 8 out of the said accused are working in the Income Tax Department as Income Tax Inspector and Tax Assistant respectively and the said accused along with accused Nos. 02 to 06 and accused Nos. 09 and 10 went to the office of the complainant and on getting information about their involvement in the said criminal conspiracy, the said accused were searched and arrested in the present case on 10th September. The arrested accused include 7) Suresh Mahavir Prasad Mishra, aged 57 years (Income Tax Inspector)8) Sunil Manohar Gore, age 59 years (Tax Assistant)9) Jatu alias Jitendra Namdev More, age 52 years 10) Ashok Vithoba Shinde, age 57 years are involved. This operation has been carried out by DCP Datta Nalawade under the leadership of Mumbai Police Commissioner Devin Bharti and the accused have been arrested and the gang has been exposed. DCP Datta Nalawade said that earlier also 6 accused were arrested in the case but the Income Tax Inspector and Assistant were also involved in it after which today more absconding accused have been arrested and the entire gang has been cracked down on.

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Maharashtra

Mumbai: Criminal mobile thief arrested, mystery of three thefts solved

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Mumbai: Police has claimed to have recovered 09 mobile phones worth Rs 1,48,000/- from a criminal accused after uncovering 03 cases of mobile theft. On the complaint of the complainant on September 8, a case was registered at Park Site Police Station under Section 305(a) of the IPC 2023 for theft of mobile phones by entering a house. The police registered the said case and started investigation. Mumbai Police’s Nitin Jhade and his team traced the accused wanted in the case based on CCTV footage of the crime scene and its premises and technical information and arrested the accused Feroz Mohammad Shakeel Sheikh alias Choha, age 25, resident of Ambika Nagar Chal, Behind Ajwa Hotel, Upper Depot Para, Park Site, Vikhroli (West), Mumbai 79, who was on police record within 05 hours and registered a case under Section 305(a) BNS Crime No. 2 879/2026 Section 305(a) BNS
3) Crime No. 880/2026 Section 305(a) BNS
3) 03 cases were revealed. Similarly, 09 mobiles worth Rs. 1,48,000/- were recovered from the said accused after expert interrogation.

*The arrested accused Feroz Mohammad Shakeel Sheikh alias Choha, aged 25, has a total of 20 cases of theft, robbery, illegal possession of weapons registered in K-Park Site, Ghatkopar, Pant Nagar and Nirmal Nagar police stations.

The said operation was carried out under the guidance of Devin Bharti, Commissioner of Police, Mumbai, Manoj Sharma, Joint Commissioner of Police (Law and Order), Dhananjay Kulkarni, Additional Commissioner of Police, Eastern Regional Department, Chembur, Mumbai, Shri Abhay Singh Deshmukh, Deputy Commissioner of Police, East, Senior Police Inspector in-charge, Park Site Police Station, Mumbai, Ashok Lange, Assistant Police Inspector Nitin Jhade, Police Sub-Inspector Akshay Wagh, Police Havildar Vishal Goare, Police Havildar Rahul Navale, Police Constable Manoj Sarwade, Police Constable Rohidas Bhosare, Police Constable Deepak Tade.

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