The Special Task Force (STF) of the Assam Police, working jointly with Hailakandi district police, arrested an alleged operative of the Pakistan-based Shahzad Bhatti Network (SBN) on Wednesday, officials said. The suspect, a 21-year-old, was taken into custody from the Ramnathpur area and several documents were seized during the operation.
Arrests follow earlier detentions in July
The detention is linked to arrests made earlier on 25 July, when three other alleged operatives were apprehended from Dhubri, Chirang and Barpeta districts. Authorities said the Hailakandi arrest followed leads developed during the subsequent investigation.
| Date | District | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 25 July | Dhubri | Arrest of alleged operative |
| 25 July | Chirang | Arrest of alleged operative |
| 25 July | Barpeta | Arrest of alleged operative |
| 26 Aug | Hailakandi | Arrest of 21-year-old suspect; documents seized |
A government statement described the SBN as a Pakistan-based terror syndicate with links to grenade, improvised explosive device (IED) and petrol-bomb attacks, and to targeted killings in India. It also said the network has been paying local facilitators to undertake reconnaissance of police, defence and religious sites, and to install CCTV cameras for espionage.
“This operation is part of the STF’s sustained investigation and action against extremist and anti-national networks and their operatives,” an official said.
What authorities say and what was recovered
Officials reported that several documents were seized from the Hailakandi suspect. They did not provide further public details about the nature of those materials or whether digital devices were recovered. The STF characterised the arrest as a continuation of coordinated efforts to dismantle the SBN’s local networks and support structures within Assam.
- Operation partners: Assam STF and Hailakandi Police carried out the joint operation.
- Suspect: 21-year-old male arrested from Ramnathpur area.
- Seizures: Several documents recovered; officials have not disclosed additional items publicly.
- Context: Follow-up to three arrests on 25 July in Dhubri, Chirang and Barpeta.
Regional security implications
The STF said the SBN has a record of orchestrating violent incidents and cultivating local conduits for reconnaissance and espionage. If substantiated, such activities pose a challenge to policing and civic security in border and interior districts. Assam and the wider North-East have faced varied security threats; law-enforcement agencies have been focusing on intelligence-led operations to pre-empt attacks and dismantle support networks.
Local residents and officials in districts affected by the recent arrest drive expressed relief at the developments but urged that investigations be pursued transparently and within legal processes. The STF and local police are likely to continue interrogations and forensic analysis of the seized material to determine connections, operational planning and financing channels, the statement indicated.
Procedure ahead
Investigating officers will file required reports and, depending on the evidence developed, may seek custody remands and produce the accused before a magistrate. Any further charges, including those under relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act or the Indian Penal Code, would depend on the probe's findings and forensic corroboration.
Security officials did not release the identity of the arrested person pending completion of statutory formalities. The STF said the operation underlines its continued focus on extremism and cross-border terror syndicates that seek to exploit local auxiliaries.
Inputs for this report include a government statement and PTI material.
