The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (UP ATS) on Saturday arrested three youths from Bhiwandi, Maharashtra, in connection with a sophisticated fraud racket that allegedly raised substantial sums through social media crowdfunding campaigns, claiming to provide humanitarian aid to Gaza war victims. But investigation revealed that a significant portion of the funds was reportedly diverted for personal and suspicious Anti national activities.
Officials described the accused, identified as Mohammad Ayan (23), Zaid Notiyar (22), and Abu Sufiyan (22), as adept at executing schemes with a high level of planning and complexity. The trio used Instagram and WhatsApp to solicit donations for food, water, clothing, and medicines for Gaza-affected women and children. However, investigators allege that a significant portion of the funds, collected through personal bank accounts and UPI IDs, was misappropriated for personal use and never reached the intended beneficiaries.
The accused were produced before a Thane court on Saturday, which granted the UP ATS transit remand of all three to Lucknow for further investigation. The case, registered in Lucknow, will probe possible links to wider criminal networks and assess whether the funds were connected to anti-national or illegal funding channels.
Officials said the accused launched crowdfunding campaigns on social media,claiming to assist Gaza war victims, and posted emotional videos to motivate people to contribute. Taking advantage of the humanitarian crisis, the trio and their associates reportedly collected several crore rupees.
According to the UP ATS, the operation is being examined not just as a fraud case but also for possible connections to wider anti-national networks and illegal foreign funding channels. The investigation revealed that the accused collected crores of rupees in donations from several districts across Uttar Pradesh. The UP ATS is now probing whether these funds were used to finance anti-national or criminal activities. During their social media campaigns, the three accused used personal UPI IDs and bank accounts to receive the funds, with investigators confirming that a significant portion was misappropriated.
The UP ATS registered an investigation on August 27, 2025, under CR number 10/2025, invoking relevant sections of anti-terror and foreign funding laws. Officials said the operation underscores the increasing vigilance by security agencies in monitoring illegal financial networks and preventing potential funding of anti-national activities.
