News Brief
Ahmedabad Police Busts Syrian Gang Collecting Donations By Masquerading As Gaza Victims
Representative Image (File Photo)
The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has busted a Syrian-run extortion ring that deceived local mosques by posing as victims of the Gaza conflict.
The Crime Branch has reportedly arrested one suspect, identified as Ali Meghat Al Zaher, a Syrian citizen who had entered India on a tourist visa.
According to officials, Al Zaher, along with three accomplices, had been approaching religious places and local communities, seeking money under the guise of humanitarian aid for war-affected civilians in Gaza.
"During interrogation, it was revealed that he was using the money to lead a luxurious life," the Ahmedabad Crime Branch was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
After the police action, his three accomplices have gone underground.
Further, the authorities have also begun the process of blacklisting and deporting Alzaha.
According to senior officials cited in a Moneycontrol report, the activities posed “a serious threat to the country’s internal security”, given the suspects’ violation of visa conditions and their involvement in “suspicious and unlawful activities.”
The case has now been taken up jointly by state and central agencies, including intelligence units, to ascertain the wider network of the gang and the flow of funds.
