- By Shubham Bajpai
- Sat, 23 Aug 2025 05:52 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
The Gujarat Police has busted a Syrian gang that was involved in extorting money from the mosques in the name of victims in Gaza. A Syrian national has been arrested while three of his accomplices are absconding, the police said.
According to the police, they were raising funds from the mosques, primarily to fund their lavish lifestyles. The Ahmedabad Crime Branch said that such activities can pose a threat to the country's internal security. They said that central and state government agencies are trying to identify the motive behind it.
The arrested Syrian national has been identified as Ali Meghat Al-Azhar, who is in India on a tourist visa, the official said.
In a press release, the Ahmedabad Crime Branch said, "A member of a Syrian gang was detained for raising money from mosques in the name of Gaza victims. Three of his accomplices are absconding."
As per the crime branch, the accused had travelled to India on tourist visas and were indulging in acts that violated the country's tourist visa rules.
The release further stated that the arrested accused revealed during the investigation that the gang was raising money to fund their lavish lifestyle. The crime branch has started the process of blacklisting and deporting the arrested accused, it said.
Since the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, Tel Aviv's counter-offensive has deteriorated the situation in Gaza. While the military intervention has dismatled the top leadership of Hamas, most civilian parts have also ben turned into rubble. The Israeli military action in Gaza strip has had catastrophic ramifications for the common people as food, essential supplies crisis is at the all time high.
The humanitarian aid inflow has proved insuffficient for the people. More recently, the United Nations declared famine in Gaza due to a prolonged war that is nearing a completion of two years.
(With PTI Inputs)