Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh anti-terrorist squad (ATS) on Monday arrested a 24-year-old Bihar resident for his alleged links with Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and for attempting to funnel more than USD 5,000 (over Rs 4 lakh) through cryptocurrency to Pakistan-linked handlers, officials said.The accused, Mohammad Zafar, son of Mohammad Zaheer and a resident of Mirganj village in Purnia, Bihar, was arrested from Meerut.The agency said Zafar was collecting money in the name of a madrassa and sending funds to Pakistan-based handlers for anti-India activities.According to ATS officers, its intelligence inputs indicated that Zafar was influenced by JeM chief Masood Azhar and was sharing his speeches and other material on social media to influence people.Investigators found several Pakistan-based WhatsApp groups on Zafar’s mobile phone, along with conversations relating to violence and the collection and transfer of funds.“Zafar had also joined a JeM-linked group and established contact with a Pakistani handler,” an ATS officer said.He said the handler initially provided him with details of a Pakistani bank account for transferring money. “When the transaction could not be completed, Zafar used cryptocurrency to transfer funds in USDT, with the total transfers or attempted transfers amounting to over USD 5,000,” he added.Investigators said Zafar used social media to post content related to anti-India activities and at times appeared with his face covered. His digital communications and financial transactions are now part of the investigation.The agency registered Case No. 13/2026 against Zafar under Sections 152 and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, and Sections 18 and 38 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967.The ATS is investigating his links with Pakistani handlers, the source of funds collected, and cryptocurrency transactions.
