The Enforcement Directorate (ED), in coordination with the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and central forces, launched coordinated raids across nearly 40 locations in four states on December 11, 2025, targeting a suspected ISIS-linked radicalisation module and its illicit funding network, officials confirmed. The multi-agency operation focused on premises in the Padgha-Borivali region of Thane district (near Mumbai), Ratnagiri in Maharashtra, Delhi, Kolkata, and parts of Uttar Pradesh, stemming from intelligence inputs on a sophisticated terror ecosystem. The raids, conducted under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA), aim to dismantle the financial backbone supporting recruitment, training, arms procurement, and explosives handling, with early seizures including incriminating documents, 19 mobile phones, and traces of suspicious transactions linked to the banned global terrorist group.

The probe originated from a November 2023 National Investigation Agency (NIA) chargesheet in case RC-29/2023/NIA/DLI, which exposed a "highly radicalised" ISIS module operating across states, allegedly involving individuals in systematic radicalisation and sustaining operations through covert funding. ED officials revealed that Mumbai ATS intelligence uncovered a parallel racket in the illegal cutting, smuggling, and sale of Khair (Kaith) wood—valued for its use in traditional medicine and furniture—with proceeds defined as "proceeds of crime" under PMLA being diverted to extremist activities. Searches targeted the accused, their associates, family members, and entities with dubious financial ties, highlighting the network's interstate reach and potential national security threats.

Preliminary findings indicate the module's involvement in procuring weapons and explosives, with digital forensics ongoing to map communication trails and beneficiary networks. This operation builds on prior NIA actions in Padgha, where key figure Saquib Nachan—arrested in 2023—was implicated before his death in June 2025 from health complications while in custody. The ED's intervention underscores a zero-tolerance approach to terror financing, especially after similar busts in 2025, including an October Delhi Special Cell raid on the 'Saut-ul-Ummah' ISIS cell plotting high-profile blasts.

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As the investigation intensifies, authorities are tracing the full financial trail to freeze assets and prevent further radicalisation amid broader concerns over ISIS-inspired modules exploiting economic vulnerabilities in urban fringes. The raids reflect heightened vigilance post-global alerts on lone-wolf threats, with Maharashtra's ATS leading local efforts in Thane—a known hotspot for such activities since 2019 arrests.

This crackdown aligns with India's multi-pronged strategy against terrorism, integrating financial intelligence with law enforcement to disrupt hawala channels and hawker networks often masked as legitimate trade. While no arrests were reported immediately, provisional attachments under PMLA are anticipated, potentially crippling the module's logistics.

The operation serves as a reminder of the evolving terror landscape, where illicit commerce funds ideology, prompting calls for enhanced border surveillance on wood smuggling routes from Northeast India to sustain momentum against such hybrid threats.

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