Mumbai, January 23: Just days ahead of the Republic Day, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) Tuesday detained nine youths in all, five from Mumbra and four from Aurangabad, for alleged links with terror outfit Daesh and ISIS. Maharashtra ATS Arrests Five Bangladeshi Nationals For Illegally Entering India.

Reports said that the ATS will produce these youths in the court Wednesday morning and appeal for their custody.

Out of the nine detained for questioning, three youths named Mohammed Mazhar Sheikh Fahad Shah, Mohsin Khan Taki, and Zahid were questioned by the ATS and were later taken to Mumbai's Kalachowki police station.

Among those detained, Fahad Shah is a civil engineer. Mohammed Mazhar Sheikh works as a computer engineer in a company in Bhiwandi. The police has also seized computers, mobiles, laptops and are checking on the WhatsApp messages passed by the group.

An ATS spokesperson was quoted by the Indian Express saying that the nine people have been arrested on reliable information. The ATS has been monitoring the activities of the nine youths for the last few months and suspect that they worked in the sleeper cells of the terror organisation.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 23, 2019 10:07 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).