The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (UP ATS) has arrested three youths from Bhiwandi for allegedly siphoning off lakhs of rupees raised in the name of Palestine.
The arrested have been identified as Mohammad Ayan Mohammad Hussain (22), a resident of Sahara Apartment near Tahera Marriage Hall; Abu Sufiyan Tajammul Ansari (22), from Gulzar Nagar; and Zaid Notiyar Abdul Qadir (22), from Vetal Pada.
⚡ UP ATS has arrested Mohammad Ayan, Zaid Notiyar & Abu Sufiyan from Bhiwandi, Maharashtra for siphoning lakhs raised via crowdfunding in the name of Palestine.
Funds meant for “aid” were reportedly diverted for personal use & anti-national activities. pic.twitter.com/ROJf26igxp
— Megh Updates 🚨™ (@MeghUpdates) September 21, 2025
According to police sources, the trio collected around Rs 3 lakh through crowdfunding campaigns purportedly intended for Palestinian aid. Investigations reveal that these funds were diverted for personal use and potentially anti-national activities, raising serious concerns about misuse of humanitarian fundraising platforms to channel money abroad.
The UP ATS had registered a formal investigation on August 27, invoking stringent provisions of anti-terror and foreign funding laws. Senior officials from Nizampura police station supervised the operation, which highlighted the growing vigilance of security agencies in monitoring illicit financial networks often linked to terror financing.
Officials stated that the ATS had been tracking the three accused, culminating in the arrest of Abu Sufiyan from his flat in Gulzar Nagar on September 20 afternoon. During interrogation, he disclosed the identities of his two accomplices, following which Zaid Abdul Qadir and Mohammad Ayan Mohammad Hussain were also apprehended. The trio was produced at Shanti Nagar police station for entry and transit remand before being sent to Lucknow for further investigation.
Police sources further revealed that the operation is ongoing, with investigators examining the financial trails and online networks used to mobilise the funds. Authorities are also probing potential intermediaries who may have facilitated the transfer of these funds abroad without proper authorisation.
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