The Union government has allotted Rs 3,481.27 crores for security measures and building infrastructure in consonance with its resolve to end the menace of Naxalism by March 31, 2026.
Speaking at the ‘No Money for Terror Conference’ in Munich, Union Minister for State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai said terror financing has increasingly acquired cross border linkages and called for unity among nations to fight terrorism and terror financing.
During the past fortnight the Maoists were death another blow when 31 rebels were killed in a gun-fight with the security forces in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur district. In the same district, eight more rebels were killed in another encounter. 19 Maoists operating in Chhattisgarh surrendered to the authorities in neighbouring Bhadradri-Kothagudem district, Telangana State. Separately, seven more Maoist cadres surrendered in Kanker district, Chhattisgarh.
A huge cache of arms was recovered from a militant hide out in Baramulla district, Kashmir.
Personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) arrested 14 infiltrators from Bangladesh in Manipur. Also in Manipur, a total 17 cadres of various insurgent groups, including seven belonging to the National Revolutionary Front of Manipur (NRFM) were arrested.
Of the total length of 4096.7 km of India-Bangladesh, 3232.218 km has been fenced. A length of 864.482 km of the India-Bangladesh border is yet to be fenced, for which fencing 174.514 km is non-feasible.
Union Hoe Minister Amit Shah said a major breakthrough against drug syndicates in India has been achieved with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) dismantling a significant drug network in Mumbai, Maharashtra, and said the country was determined to dismantle drug syndicates. Drugs of various types worth rupees seven crore were recovered in Assam.
Several websites under operation were blocked for security reasons by the Union Home Ministry.
Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials, in Gujarat, unearthed the biggest-ever crypto currency fraud worth Rs 1646 cr as part of a mega money laundering investigation. The Crime Bureau of India (CBI) has conducted search operations across seven locations in various States after registering a case of Rs 350 cr crypto-Ponzi scam against seven persons, officials said.
Budgetary allocation to fight Naxalism
An amount of Rs 3,481.27 cr has been allocated in the Union Budget. Earlier, an amount of Rs 2,463.62 cr was allocated under this head in the budget for 2024-25, media reports said on February 2, 2025.
The allocation is considered significant in the wake of Union Home Minister Amit Shah’s repeated statements that Naxalism would end in the country by March 2026.
Raises concern at ‘No Money for Terror Conference’ in Munich
Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai, while speaking at the 4th “No Money for Terror (NMFT) Conference” in Munich, Germany, on February 13, 2025, raised the concern that terror financing has increasingly acquired cross border linkages in terms of a flow of funds and due to the development of new digital technologies, sources, methods and channels used for flow of assets by terrorists... which posse a significant challenge to global security.[1]
He said unity among nations is essential in the fight against terrorism and ... India stands steadfast with the global community in this fight against the scourge of terrorism.
31 Maoists killed in Bijapur, Chhattisgarh
Security forces, on February 9, 2025, gunned down 31 rebels of the Communist Party of India (Maoists), Maoists in short, in an encounter in Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh. The encounter began deep inside the forest in the Indravati National Park area.[2] Two security force (SF) personnel, too, have been killed, while two others were injured.
The encounter broke out when the rebels faced off with a joint team comprising security personnel from the District Reserve Guard (DRG), Special Task Force (STF) and Bastar Fighter Force. Following the gunfight, the forces found the bodies of 31 rebels in fatigues.
They also recovered a large number of firearms, including AK 47 rifles, Self Loading Rifles (SLRs) and INSAS and grenade launchers.
Eight Maoists killed in Chhattisgarh
At least eight armed rebels of the Communist Party of India (Maoist), or Maoists, were killed in an encounter with security forces Bijapur district, Chhattisgarh, on February 1, 2025. Two personnel of the District Reserve Guard (DRG) were also injured in the incident.[3]
19 Maoists surrender in Telangana
Nineteen rebels of the Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) from Chhattisgarh surrendered to Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) authorities, in Bhadradri Kothagudem district, Telangana, on February 13, 2025.[4]
The Maoist south Bastar agriculture team’s divisional committee member Naroti Manish, People’s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) Area Committee Members Madvi Nanda and Madvi Handa, people’s militia (base force) member Madvi and others were among those who surrendered.
Seven Maoists surrender in Kanker, Chhattisgarh
Seven rebels of the CPI (Maoist), including three women, carrying collective cash rewards of Rs 32 lakh surrendered in Kanker district, Chhattisgarh, on January 31, 2025, a police official said.[5]
NIA arrests HuT accused
The National Investigation Agency (NIA), on February 3, 2025, arrested two key accused in the Tamil Nadu Hizb ut Tahrir (HuT) case.[6] The accused, identified as Kabeer Ahmed Aliyar and Bava Bahrudeen @ Mannai Bava had conspired with others to propagate HuT ideology by conducting secret meetings. They were also involved in organising an exhibition to showcase the military prowess of Islamic nations that would overthrow the Indian government by waging violent jihad and war.
Huge cache of arms and ammunition recovered in Kashmir
Media reports of February 5, 2025 said security forces (SF) recovered a huge cache of arms and ammunition in the Uri Forest area, Baramulla district, Kashmir.[7] An official said that a joint team of security forces unearthed a cache of arms and ammunition from a hollow pine tree. The recovered arms and ammunition included three AK-47 rifles, 11 AK magazines, 292 AK rounds, one Under Barrel Grenade Launcher (UBGL), nine UBGL grenades and two hand grenades. In connection with this recovery FIR No. 07/2025 has been registered.
BSF arrests 14 Bangladesh infiltrators
Personnel of the Border Security Force (BSF) held as many as 14 Bangladesh nationals have in Tripura since January 26, 2025 for illegally entering India, a senior official of the force stated.[8]
Separately, Manipur police arrest four more militants of various groups, taking the total to 13 in the past 48 hours ending on February 4. During the corresponding period two Indian accomplices enabling infiltration were also nabbed. Furthermore, a significant quantity of narcotics, sugar, cattle, and other smuggled items valued at a total of Rs 2.5 cr was seized.
Seven suspected NRFM cadres arrested in Manipur
Police in Manipur arrested seven suspected cadres of National Revolutionary Front of Manipur (NRFM), on February 9, 2025, under Lamlai police station limits, Imphal East district.[9] Two INSAS rifles with magazines and 12 live rounds, two self-loading rifles (SLR) with magazines and 30 live rounds and five Bullet Proof (BP) jackets were recovered from them.
Fencing India-Bangladesh border
Giving a written reply in the Lok Sabha, on February 4, 2025, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs, Mr Nityanand Rai stated that of the total length of 4096.7 km of India-Bangladesh, 3232.218 km has been fenced. A length of 864.482 km of the India-Bangladesh border is yet to be fenced, of which fencing 174.514 km is non-feasible.
He said fencing is an important security measure for securing the border. Fencing helps in ensuring a crime-free border by effectively addressing the challenges of cross-border criminal activities, smuggling, movement of criminals and trafficking. The Government of India expects Bangladesh would implement all earlier understandings and that there would be a cooperative approach to combat cross-border crime.
Major drug syndicate busted: Union Home Minister Amit Shah
The Press Information Bureau, quoting Union Home Minister Amit Shah, said a major breakthrough against drug syndicates in India has been achieved with the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) dismantling a significant drug network in Mumbai, Maharashtra. He added that it is a testament to the success of the top-to-bottom approach adopted to achieve a drug-free India. [10]
The Minister further said, “[India] crushes drug cartels with zero tolerance. A major breakthrough [achieved] in Mumbai [by] seizing very high-grade cocaine, Ganja (marijuana), and cannabis gummies...”
Properties of drug peddler attached in Udhampur
Media reports on February 2, 2025 said police in Udhampur, Kashmir, attached properties worth crores of rupees of a notorious drug peddler, namely Nadeem Sambyal. The accused is a resident of Chennai, Tamil Nadu. The properties were identified as illegally acquired property during the course of an investigation carried out by officials in Chennai. A case has been registered against the accused under Narcotics Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS Act).
Gujarat ATS seizes drugs and raw material worth Rs 107 cr
The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), on January 24, 205, said they had seized 107 kg Alprazolam worth Rs 107 crore and 2,518 kg raw materials from an illegal factory that would have been enough to produce 42.8 crore tablets of 0.25 mg each.[11]
The ATS had received intelligence that Greenlife Industries, Neja village, Anand district, was illegally manufacturing Alprazolam tablets. The manufacturing unit was raided.
Drugs worth Rs seven cr recovered in Assam
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, on February 8, 2025, said Sribhumi Police recovered drugs worth Rs seven crores (Rs 7 cr). He said that in separate incidents 50,000 YABA tablets were recovered in Puwamara, leading to the arrest of one person, while another was arrested following the recovery of another 5,800 YABA tablets in Longai.[12]
Several website links blocked for security reasons: Amit Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah informed the Parliamentary Consultative Committee on Home Affairs that 805 mobile applications and 3,266 website links have been blocked due to national security reasons.[13] He further said a total of 1.43 lakh First Information Reports (FIRs) have been registered on the Indian Cyber Crime Coordination Centre (I4C) portal and over 19 crore people have used the website (cybercrime.gov.in). He also added that over 6 lakh suspicious data points have been shared through a common system linking I4C, police, banks, and other law enforcement agencies.
ED unearths Rs 1646 cr worth crypto currency fraud
Enforcement Directorate (ED) officials unearthed the biggest-ever crypto currency fraud worth Rs 1646 cr as part of a mega money laundering investigation into fraudulent investment scheme where numerous depositors were duped in the name of securities investment, official sources said.[14]
The Ahmadabad office of the ED has also seized Rs 13.50 lakh in cash, an SUV and a number of digital devices in the case related to “fraudulent” and unregistered offering and sale of securities in the form of investments through ‘Bit Connect lending program’.
CBI registers case in Rs 350 cr crypto currency-Ponzi scam
The Crime Bureau of India (CBI) has conducted search operations across seven locations after registering a case of Rs 350 cr crypto-Ponzi scam against seven persons, officials said, on January 24, 2025.[15]
The accused persons were allegedly running seven separate modules based across various States in Delhi, Hazaribag, Bathinda, Ratlam, Valsad, Pudukkottai and Chittorgarh, taking money from gullible investors promising investments in crypto currencies.
“These Ponzi schemes were being promoted through multiple social media groups. An analysis of bank account transactions and crypto currency wallets has revealed that the illegal proceeds from these schemes were being converted into crypto currency to obscure their origin”, a CBIs spokesperson said.
Endnotes
[1] https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2103343
[2] https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/12-maoists-killed-2-security-personnel-dead-in-chhattisgarh-encounter-7669378
[3] https://www.deccanherald.com/india/chhattisgarh/eight-naxalites-killed-two-cops-injured-in-encounter-in-chhattisgarhs-bijapur-3384311
[4] http://epaper.telanganatoday.com/download/TT-2025-02-14-MAI-5_04-95eb8c-14022025063046-uxz.pdf
[5] https://www.deccanherald.com/india/chhattisgarh/7-naxalites-carrying-rs-32-lakh-bounty-surrender-in-chhattisgarh-3382168
[6] https://nia.gov.in/writereaddata/Portal/PressReleaseNew/1900_1_PR03022025.pdf
[7] https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/arms-ammunition-recovered-20/
[8] https://assamtribune.com/north-east/bsf-nabs-14-bangladesh-nationals-in-tripura-since-january-26-1566944
[9] https://www.northeasttoday.in/2025/02/10/manipur-police-bust-nrfm-hideout-arrest-seven-cadres/
[10] https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2100736
[11] https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/ahmedabad/gujarat-banned-anxiety-drug-worth-rs-107-cr-seized-as-ats-busts-illegal-factory-9798121/?utm_term=Autofeed&utm_medium=echobox&utm_channel=echoboxfb&utm_source=Facebook&fbclid=IwY2xjawIBQsBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHflnfOqxZbjl_6uZy7UsG08d24Y0qJTeOE_0Rn0HYZm2TyuqQttGWzm0MA_aem_ws9X_-x6OHVLiTEsWN0mWg&sfnsn=wiwspmo#Echobox=1737770532
[12] https://assamtribune.com/assam/assam-police-seize-drugs-worth-rs-7-crore-in-major-crackdown-himanta-shares-details-1567499
[13] https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/805-apps-3266-links-blocked-on-grounds-of-national-security-amit-shah/articleshow/118156003.cms
[14] https://www.dailyexcelsior.com/ed-seizes-biggest-crypto-fund-worth-rs-1646-crore-in-pmla-case/
[15] https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/cbi-busts-rs-350-crore-crypto-ponzi-scam-promoted-through-social-media-7550421
