ATS probe finds minors scanning dark web for weapons, linking with foreign handlers

 

 

 

Fresh findings in the ongoing investigation into the minors-linked ISIS influenced digital module in Chhattisgarh have startlingly revealed wider external exposure and high-risk online activity. A senior official of the Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS), a specialised unit of the State Police’s Intelligence Wing (SIW), told The Hitavada on condition of anonymity that one of the group chats accessed during the inquiry contained Instagram IDs spanning several foreign countries and multiple Indian states.

 

According to the official, this pattern indicated that the minors had been interacting within a digital ecosystem far beyond earlier assessments. The official stated that one of the minors had also begun attempting to learn Arabic in order to establish direct communication with overseas handlers. The ATS recovered browsing logs showing the minor repeatedly accessing Arabic learning tools and attempting to decode Arabic content circulating in restricted chat rooms.

 

According to the official, this behaviour suggested an effort to communicate independently with foreign sources without relying on intermediaries. The most concerning element, the official revealed, surfaced when the ATS technical team detected dark web trails on one of the devices. The browsing patterns showed searches related to weapon prices, procurement methods and logistics linked with illegal online markets.

 

The official said this activity was immediately treated as a high-risk indicator because it suggested early-stage attempts to explore illegal arms access. He added that these trails have been escalated for deeper forensic review. According to the ATS official, the investigation has also established evidence of the minors being exposed to more than one foreign handler. Earlier findings had identified contact with a Pakistan-linked digital source, but the latest analysis of communication logs showed multiple external points of origin.

 

The official said these interactions varied in form, including encrypted messages, restricted media drops and specialised chat segments. These developments add to the earlier discovery that one of the minors had created an Instagram group titled ISIS Raipur and attempted to recruit peers into controlled chat clusters. ATS officials had previously examined material indicating radical content exposure, instructions related to sensitive locations and tasks linked with Operation Sindoor.

 

The expanded probe has now incorporated cross-border digital forensics and inputs from central intelligence agencies to determine whether any actionable threat was progressing beyond the online domain. The ATS official said the investigation remains active and that all seized digital material is undergoing layer-by-layer examination. Findings related to foreign communication loops, dark web activity and multi-country contacts will be sent to the competent authorities after the forensic review is completed.