Patna | Investigating agencies in Bihar have arrested a madrasa teacher in Madhubani district as part of a widening probe into an alleged terror recruitment module. Officials claim the accused was assigned the task of arranging passports for youths and connecting them with handlers operating through Nepal, who were allegedly facilitating their movement into Pakistan.
According to intelligence inputs, Maulana Izhar-Ul-Haq, who was working as a teacher at a local madrasa, is suspected of playing a key role in recruiting young men from multiple districts of Bihar. Investigators allege that the recruited individuals were intended to be routed through Nepal before being sent further to Pakistan as part of a coordinated cross-border network.
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The probe has also revealed the alleged involvement of two other individuals—Naeem Abdullah from Deoband and Faraz alias Khalid Saifullah from Bhopal—who were reportedly given separate operational responsibilities by handlers based in Pakistan. Agencies believe each accused was handling different segments of the recruitment and coordination process.
Officials stated that the network came under scrutiny after coordinated surveillance operations conducted by the Anti-Terrorism Squads (ATS) of Madhya Pradesh and Bihar. Following the arrests, state police headquarters issued alerts to range Inspectors General (IGs) and Superintendents of Police, directing heightened vigilance across sensitive districts.
Investigators further alleged that the group was involved in identifying and recruiting youths who could later be used for targeted violent activities. During interrogation, one of the accused reportedly disclosed that potential targets were to be identified and their photographs transmitted through encrypted messaging platforms such as WhatsApp.
The probe also suggests that the accused were influenced and guided through online communication channels, including Google Meet sessions where ideological messaging and propaganda content were allegedly circulated. Officials claimed that references were made to narratives linked to “Mission 2047,” which investigators associate with banned or extremist-linked organisations.
Security agencies have also recovered digital evidence from mobile phones seized during the arrests. The devices allegedly contained speeches by foreign clerics, extremist audio-visual material, and propaganda content linked to globally known militant figures. Forensic examination of this data is currently underway to determine the full extent of the communication network and its overseas links.
According to investigators, Faraz allegedly admitted during questioning that he had obtained a passport under instructions from handlers based in Pakistan. This admission has strengthened suspicions that the network was actively involved in facilitating cross-border movement of individuals through legitimate travel documentation channels.
Officials believe the madrasa teacher, Izhar-Ul-Haq, maintained regular communication with overseas handlers and was responsible for expanding the network’s reach across multiple districts. He is also suspected of reviving dormant cells and coordinating recruitment activities among individuals who were not previously connected to each other.
The investigation gained momentum on June 12, when Madhya Pradesh ATS conducted a covert operation in Bhopal’s Qazi Camp area and arrested Faraz near a mosque. His interrogation reportedly provided critical leads that helped identify other individuals linked to the alleged network in Bihar and other states.
Authorities stated that Faraz was working at a medical clinic and had been consuming radical content through encrypted digital platforms. Investigators believe this exposure gradually influenced his involvement in the alleged network activities.
Security agencies are now working to map the entire communication structure, financial flow, and interstate links of the module. Officials suspect that the network may extend beyond Bihar, potentially involving individuals across multiple states who were assigned specific operational roles.
The arrests have intensified concerns among security agencies regarding the use of educational and informal community spaces for alleged recruitment activities. Investigators are continuing to question the accused to identify additional members and uncover the full scale of the network.
Authorities have confirmed that the investigation is still in its early stages, and further arrests cannot be ruled out as digital evidence and interrogation outputs are analysed in detail.
