Daijiworld Media Network – Agra

Agra, Jul 27: Agra police have unearthed a major religious conversion racket with alleged links to handlers in Pakistan, officials revealed on Saturday. So far, 14 individuals have been arrested in the case, which came to light following the disappearance of two sisters from Agra.

According to Police Commissioner Deepak Kumar, the racket targeted young individuals—especially girls—through social media, online games, and encrypted apps. “Online games were being used as bait to influence youth, and the operation was coordinated with support from Pakistani handlers,” Kumar said.

The probe began when two sisters, aged 33 and 18, went missing. One of them had even posted a photo with an AK-47 on social media, raising suspicion. An initial sweep led to the arrest of 10 people from six states, and four more were apprehended as the investigation progressed.

Police said the gang was led by Abdul Rehman, a Delhi resident who converted to Islam in 1990, and Ayesha from Goa. Girls from various parts of Uttar Pradesh and Haryana—including Dehradun, Bareilly, Aligarh, Raebareli, Jhajjar and Rohtak—were among those rescued.

The commissioner said girls were brainwashed using false narratives about Hinduism and made to communicate with people who promoted Islamic beliefs. They were then added to WhatsApp groups for further indoctrination. Two Pakistan-based individuals, Tanveer Ahmed and Sahil Adeem, allegedly played a key role in this psychological influence.

Three members of the gang reportedly had expertise in using the dark web and communicated via encrypted platforms like Signal to evade surveillance.

A concerning method of luring potential targets involved initiating casual conversations during online games like Ludo. Gradually, the victims were coaxed with selective religious content and pushed toward conversion.

The investigation is ongoing, and police are tracking more digital footprints to uncover the full scale of the operation.