Gangtok, June 30 : A coordinated operation by central intelligence agencies and Gangtok Police has unraveled a suspected Pakistan-linked terror network functioning out of Sikkim, resulting in one arrest and the brief detention of five other individuals in what officials are calling a significant security development for the border state.
The man at the center of the case, Mohammad Arju, nineteen, lives in the Nam Nang locality of Gangtok and ran a paan shop near Lower MG Marg alongside his father. He was taken into custody after a focused raid at that location.
Officials say Arju had been on the radar of central agencies for close to eight months, ever since his online conversations with a suspected handler based in Pakistan first drew attention. At the heart of the investigation lies an Instagram network calling itself the Group of Islamic Members, which investigators believe was being used to spread extremist material, recruit new members, and push content tied to the Islamic State. Acting on a specific tip from Delhi Police, officers searched Arju’s residence in Nam Nang and confiscated his phone.
A forensic review of the device turned up a custom application called the GIM Tool, as well as encrypted message histories across WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram, and X. Investigators say these records pointed to conversations about extremist ideology, recruitment tactics, and possible financing routes, with some exchanges involving both Indian and Pakistani phone numbers now under verification by cyber crime units.
Interrogators say Arju had been approaching young Muslim men with offers of money in an attempt to pull them into the network. Officials further noted that Sikkim’s image as a calm, low-risk region may have made it an attractive base of operations, offering the group a degree of cover. Investigators also allege that the network had started scouting Army and paramilitary installations in the area, gathering photographs, video clips, and GPS coordinates of locations near the international border.
Five other men, named as Md Kalim, Md Talim, Md Arif, Md Alim, and Md Ersad, were briefly held as part of the operation. Their laptops, tablets, and storage devices were taken for digital examination, but initial questioning turned up no evidence connecting them to the network, and they were released on bail bonds. Police in Gangtok have filed a First Information Report against Arju, invoking provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, and the Information Technology Act. Authorities say the investigation is still at an early stage and that all digital evidence recovered so far is being thoroughly examined.
Report By Nitesh R Pradhan
