Investigators believe the module combined ideology, recruitment, training, logistics, and diversified revenue streams, reflecting a structured operational framework similar to global ISIS cells. (Britannica)

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has uncovered the financial architecture of the ISIS-linked Padgha-Borivali module, exposing a sophisticated, self-sustaining terror ecosystem that relied on forest crime, hawala channels, and local commercial networks to fund jihadist activities.

In a nationwide operation, the ED conducted searches at 40 locations across seven states—Padgha and Borivali in Maharashtra, Delhi, Kolkata, Hazaribaug, Prayagraj, Daman, and Ratnagiri—leading to the seizure of Rs 3.7 crore in cash and gold worth Rs 6 crore, taking the total value of the terror-finance crackdown to Rs 9.7 crore.

Top ED sources said the probe marks a decisive shift from event-based terror investigations to dismantling the entire ecosystem that sustains extremist networks.

“This investigation makes it clear that the Padgha-Borivali module was not a loose or isolated radical group. It was a financially self-sustaining jihad unit with long-term planning,” a senior ED official said.

From Propaganda to Operational Readiness

The case revolves around Saqib Nachan, a key ISIS-linked operative, whose network, according to investigators, had moved well beyond online propaganda and ideological indoctrination.

The seizure of large sums of cash, freezing of 25 bank accounts, and identification of immovable assets indicate systematic financial planning, suggesting preparations for larger and more organised terror attacks rather than sporadic or lone-wolf activity.

Investigators believe the module combined ideology, recruitment, training, logistics, and diversified revenue streams, reflecting a structured operational framework similar to global ISIS cells.

Forest Crime as Terror Funding

A major breakthrough in the probe has been the exposure of non-traditional terror financing through forest crime.

The ED found that the module allegedly financed its activities through the illegal cutting and smuggling of Khair (Kaith) wood, widely used in the Kattha industry. Officials described this as a low-risk, high-cash funding model that avoids the immediate scrutiny associated with foreign remittances.

“This mirrors global ISIS tactics, where local criminal economies such as timber smuggling, mining, extortion, and narcotics are used to fund jihadist operations,” an official said.

The presence of hawala channels further indicates that profits generated through forest crime were moved discreetly, potentially to handlers or operatives outside the country.

Why Padgha Remains a Radical Hub

The ED probe has also shed light on why Padgha continues to emerge as a persistent centre of radicalisation despite multiple arrests in the past.

According to investigators, while individual operatives were arrested earlier, the support ecosystem—family networks, local logistics, sympathetic businesses, and financial conduits—remained intact.

By expanding its searches to associates, family members, and commercial entities, the ED aims to collapse the entire support architecture, rather than merely neutralising individual operatives.

Officials said the investigation is ongoing and further action is likely as authorities continue to map the full extent of the module’s financial and logistical network.

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