The hunt for social media influencer-turned Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI)-paid terror recruiter Shahzad Bhatti is set to widen. Bhatti, who was operating from Dubai, was briefly shifted to Pakistan to coordinate with ISI handlers in setting up a large recruitment network aimed at luring Indian youth and using them for terror-related activities.
With multiple security agencies dismantling modules allegedly controlled by Bhatti, pressure on him has increased significantly. This is understood to have prompted the ISI to move him out of Pakistan, as it no longer wanted him operating from the country.
An Intelligence Bureau official said the latest inputs suggest that Bhatti may have been moved to Brazil and instructed to remain there until the pressure surrounding him subsides.
"Verification of his exact whereabouts is underway. Once his location is confirmed, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) will coordinate with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to secure an Interpol Red Corner Notice (RCN) against Shahzad Bhatti," the official said.
The NIA's efforts received a major boost after a Special Court in Mohali issued a non-bailable warrant against Bhatti. The open-ended warrant gives the agency additional time to pursue the legal process against him and will remain in force until his arrest.
An official said that intelligence agencies are currently verifying Bhatti's whereabouts. "At the same time, efforts are underway to secure an Interpol Red Corner Notice (RCN) against him. This will eventually be followed by a formal extradition request," the official added.
Another official said that if the agencies manage to establish that Bhatti is based out of Brazil, then the extradition would not be a problem. Both countries signed an extradition treaty in 2008, and it came into effect in 2012.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has listed this as an active bilateral agreement which creates a legal framework for seeking extradition of terrorists, economic offenders and other criminals from Brazil.
Officials say that the ISI would look to keep moving Bhatti to various countries. This explains why the NIA is showing a major sense of urgency to have Bhatti extradited as soon as possible.
When the first couple of modules run by Bhatti were busted, not much was known about him. None anticipated that he would be working at the scale at which he is doing so currently.
The modules busted so far may have involved relatively small numbers of recruits. However, what makes the case particularly significant is the large number of such modules that Bhatti is alleged to have established across the country.
Officials say he continues to operate these recruitment networks, making his extradition and subsequent arrest by the NIA an urgent priority.
"This follows a familiar pattern in Pakistan's operations. When pressure mounts on an individual, and there is a likelihood of international scrutiny, such assets are moved out of the country. Pakistan is also under close watch by international bodies such as the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), making it more difficult for such operatives to function from within the country," the officials said.
Pakistan cannot afford to risk-averse action by the FATF at a time when its economy remains under severe strain. Under such circumstances, any perceived association with terror operatives would further weaken its position. Officials said this approach has not been limited to Bhatti alone, but has also been applied to organisations such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).
Pakistan has of late increasingly been drawing these terror groups into the political mainstream with the hope that it can avoid scrutiny by international organisations, an official said.
Getting hold of Bhatti is crucial for the Indian security agencies. His arrest and subsequent investigation will be a major success as it would help in shutting down the multiple modules he has set up and also ensure that future recruitments of Indian youth to carry out attacks or undertake surveillance activities in the country would come to a halt, officials point out.
--IANS