HAILAKANDI: The Special Task Force (STF) of Assam Police on Wednesday arrested a 21-year-old man allegedly linked to the Pakistan-based Shahzad Bhatti Network (SBN) in Hailakandi district, officials said.
The man was apprehended from Ramnathpur in a joint operation by the STF and Hailakandi Police, following leads developed during investigations into earlier arrests of alleged network operatives.
The STF had arrested three other alleged operatives from Dhubri, Chirang and Barpeta districts on July 25.
Several documents were recovered from the arrested person, officials said.
The arrest was part of the STF’s ongoing investigation into alleged extremist and anti-national networks and their operatives.
According to a government statement, the Shahzad Bhatti Network is a Pakistan-based terror syndicate allegedly linked to grenade, improvised explosive device and petrol bomb attacks, as well as targeted killings in different parts of India. The network allegedly paid local operatives to conduct reconnaissance of police, defence and religious sites and install CCTV cameras for espionage purposes.
