In a focused intelligence-led operation, the Kalachowki unit of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad apprehended 33-year-old Mohammad Hasan Abu Sarmad Akhtar from Mumbai's Mahim area. Investigators have linked the accused directly to the banned terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed. The arrest took place near the Mahim Metro Station after security officials acted on specific confidential tips. According to the investigating agency, the suspect maintained a carefully crafted public profile, earning a living as a Rapido bike rider and working as a perfume seller, which served as camouflage for his clandestine radicalization activities.
Using Everyday Work to Circulate Extremist Propaganda
Official findings indicate that the suspect actively exploited multiple social media channels to stoke communal tensions and fuel anti-national sentiments among local contacts. Operating discreetly while ferrying passengers or making perfume deliveries, he allegedly engaged in propagating radical ideologies to susceptible individuals. Forensic analysis of his mobile phone, seized immediately following his detention, uncovered substantial quantities of objectionable and anti-national digital material that he had been systematically circulating across his personal networks.
Extremist Telegram Networks and Links to Jaish Leadership
A deeper forensic examination of his digital footprint uncovered his management of a dedicated Telegram group. Officials revealed that on June 1, 2026, he uploaded inflammatory audio addresses delivered by Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Maulana Masood Azhar. These speeches touched upon contentious topics, including the Babri Masjid, aimed at provoking civil unrest. The investigation also confirmed his active participation in a Pakistan-backed extremist Telegram channel named 'Ibn-e-Qasim.' This development follows a related case from Thane district's Padgha locality, where authorities earlier took a truck driver into custody for downloading and disseminating extremist videos featuring speeches of wanted terrorists.
Previous Terror Plots and Radicalization Cells in Mumbai
This arrest forms part of an ongoing crackdown against extremist sleeper elements operating in the metropolis. Earlier in April, the Maharashtra ATS intercepted two suspects from Mumbai who were allegedly orchestrating an attack aimed at the national capital, Delhi. Those individuals, identified as Mosab Ahdam alias Kalam Kalyan and Mohammad Hamad Kollara, both residents of Mumbai, were found to be deeply indoctrinated with extremist doctrine and maintained alleged connections with organizations like Jaish-e-Mohammed and the Islamic State. Intelligence units revealed they were associated with radical digital clusters such as 'Mission Khilafat' and 'Soldiers of Prophet', where remote handlers subjected them to extensive ideological brainwashing while they attempted to learn bomb-making techniques involving Improvised Explosive Devices.
