NEW DELHI: From a local criminal to an alleged ISI proxy involved in “hybrid terrorism”, Pakistan-based gangster Shahzad Bhatti is accused of building a cross-border network for arms and narcotics smuggling over the years.He has also been linked to the killing of Punjabi singer Sidhu Moose Wala in 2022, according to sources, news agency PTI reported.The government on Wednesday declared the Shahzad Bhatti Network (SBN) a terrorist organisation under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).The Union home ministry said the network was involved in cross-border smuggling of arms, explosives and narcotics and in recruiting youths and local criminals for terror-related activities, PTI reported.Bhatti, 45, a resident of Lahore and currently based in Dubai, is an absconding suspect in several Indian investigations.According to sources, Bhatti is affiliated with Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and acts as a “proxy” for the agency, allegedly orchestrating cross-border terror modules and commanding a syndicate involved in smuggling arms, narcotics and hand grenades.His alleged links to the 2022 murder of Moose Wala and his rivalry with groups associated with gangster Lawrence Bishnoi form a key part of his criminal trail, sources said.Bhatti was accused of supplying the weapons allegedly used in the singer’s assassination, sources said.He was also allegedly involved in the 2024 murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique, with sources saying he assisted Zeeshan Akhtar, a key conspirator in the case, in fleeing India and settling in Azerbaijan, PTI reported.Bhatti also claimed responsibility for a grenade attack at the residence of YouTuber Rozer Sandhu in Jalandhar on March 15, 2024, allegedly because Sandhu had spoken against Islam.His name has also been linked to a bomb blast at Baldev Nagar Police Station in Ambala district on January 10, 2026, and two low-intensity blasts at BSF headquarters in Jalandhar and Amritsar Cantonment on May 5, 2026, sources said.Bhatti is accused of using social media platforms, including Instagram and Facebook, to influence and recruit unemployed Indian youth for criminal activities.Sources said he allegedly lured recruits with money to conduct reconnaissance and carry out targeted strikes.Despite being based in Dubai, Bhatti is suspected of maintaining an international network, including contacts in the US, Canada and Europe, sources said.He is also suspected of using a Moroccan passport for international travel, PTI repprted.According to a PIB report, the Centre’s designation under the UAPA follows a multi-state crackdown in August in which more than 200 people were arrested or detained in connection with the network.Bhatti’s activities represent a convergence of organised crime, social media-based recruitment and cross-border terror networks.However, the allegations against him have not been legally proven and the cases remain under investigation.(With agency inputs)
