ED, ATS conduct raids in Maharashtra's Thane over suspected terror funding

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) and Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) conducted joint raids on Thursday at Padgha in Thane district in connection with suspected terror funding, officials said.

The raids were underway at Padgha in the Bhiwandi area since the early hours of Thursday, an official said.

The action was based on some earlier operations conducted by the ATS at Borivali village in Padgha, he said.

Residences of several suspects were being searched, and the ED was conducting enquiries about suspicious money transactions, the official said, adding that the ATS was assisting the federal agency sleuths.

In June this year, the ATS, along with the Thane rural police, conducted a massive search at the residences of 22 persons, including Saquib Nachan, a former office-bearer of Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and other suspected members and sympathisers of the banned outfit, at Borivali in Padgha.

The ATS had seized 19 mobile phones and incriminating material and documents about radicalisation, the official said.

Two years back, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) also carried out raids in Padgha in connection with some terror-related activities.

Saquib Nachan, who had been arrested by the NIA from Padgha, died in June this year at a hospital in Delhi.