Bijnor arms video case: Maijul detained after South Africa return; ATS links cross-border networks

Maijul, a native of Bijnor who had been living in South Africa (where he reportedly ran a salon business), returned from South Africa on Saturday and was detained upon landing in Uttar Pradesh in the viral arms case registered at Nangla police station. The detention follows a coordinated action by state police, the ATS and central agencies, and LOCs had been issued against Maijul and other suspects believed to be overseas operations, including Azad (in Dubai) and Aqib. Investigators suspect Maijul and overseas-based suspects were involved in online radicalisation via encrypted platforms and in communicating with foreign handlers. Police said Maijul will be produced before a court and that efforts to trace and bring back other absconding accused are ongoing.

Police arrested two more accused, Owaid Malik and Jalal Ahmad alias Sabeer Jafari, from Bijnor, and the probe expanded to an alleged Pakistan-backed network.

The probe gained pace after the arrest of four accused in Lucknow on April 3: Saqib alias Devil, Arbaab, Vikas Gehlawat and Lokesh alias Papla Pandit, who were allegedly part of a sabotage and radicalisation module with cross-border links.

Investigators reopened scrutiny of a viral video from November 2025 in which Aqib was seen displaying what appeared to be an assault rifle and a grenade during an online interaction with Maijul. The case had been closed earlier after local police claimed the weapons were fake, but fresh ATS findings led to its reopening.