Full Breakdown
Shahzad Bhatti Network Designated Terrorist Outfit Under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA)
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Core Designation
On September 16 2026 the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued a gazette notification invoking Section 35(1)(a) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) to add the Shahzad Bhatti Network (SBN) to the First Schedule of the Act. The notification listed SBN as the 46th organisation designated as a “terrorist organisation” under the law.
Background & Context
SBN is described by Indian authorities as a Pakistan-based, ISI-backed syndicate that blends organized crime, cross-border smuggling and online radicalisation. The network allegedly recruits “gullible youth” and local criminals, offering small sums of money and promises of overseas visas, then tasks them with smuggling arms, explosives and narcotics, disseminating hateful digital content, and conducting low-intensity attacks.
Timeline
- August 12 – A coordinated multi-state operation, using a real-time intelligence-sharing system, was carried out across 14 states.
- September 16 2026 – The MHA’s gazette notification formally designated SBN as a terrorist organisation under UAPA.
Scale of Enforcement
- Detentions: 253 individuals were detained on August 12, distributed as follows: Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Punjab, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Gujarat and Bihar (3 each), and Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir and Kerala (2 each).
- Arrests: More than 200 arrests were recorded in the same operation.
- First Information Reports (FIRs): Over 80 FIRs were filed under statutes that include the UAPA, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, Arms Act, Explosive Substances Act, Information Technology Act and the Delhi Prevention of Defacement of Property Act.
- Legal Reach: Cases against alleged SBN members invoke provisions of at least nine different laws, ranging from the Arms Act 1959 to the Immigration and Foreigners Act 2025.
Official Statements & Responses
Union Home Minister Amit Shah announced the designation as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “zero-tolerance” policy on terrorism. He asserted that the group’s activities threaten India’s democratic system, communal harmony and internal security, and that the move aligns with the government’s broader anti-terror strategy.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Location of Shahzad Bhatti:
- The Hindu and ThePrint report that Bhatti operates from the United Arab Emirates.
- Hindustan Times and Livemint state that he is based in Dubai.
- Firstpost claims he is believed to be in Brazil, while other sources describe him as a Lahore resident who moves between Dubai and Pakistan.
- Nature of Activities: While all sources agree on smuggling and radicalisation, the extent of direct involvement in specific attacks varies. Some outlets cite grenade attacks in 2024 and 2025, whereas others focus on alleged links to the 2022 killing of singer Sidhu Moosewala and the 2024 murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique.
These discrepancies highlight gaps in publicly verified intelligence about Bhatti’s exact whereabouts and the full scope of the network’s operational footprint.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The group is involved in smuggling of arms, explosives and narcotics across borders, apart from inciting youths and petty criminals into terrorism. Targeting India's democratic structure and the fabric of communal harmony, the syndicate also published hateful digital content,” — Amit Shah, union home minister
- “Pursuing PM Shri Narendra Modi Ji's vision of zero tolerance against terror, the MHA declares the Shahzad Bhatti Network as a terrorist organisation under the UAPA.” — Amit Shah, union home minister