Inside the ‘white-collar’ terror push: How Maulvi Irfan Ahmed used 3 methods to shortlist and recruit people

Investigators say Maulvi Irfan Ahmed, arrested in connection with the Delhi blast case, operated as a key recruiter for the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), focusing specifically on highly educated individuals to quietly assemble what officials describe as a “white-collar terror ecosystem”.

According to sources that have been quoted by NDTV, Ahmed’s role was to identify individuals who could be indoctrinated, assess their ideological leanings, and then guide them into the organisation. Before the network took shape in Faridabad, he allegedly groomed doctor Muzamil Shakeel, a meeting that later “changed into a terror module", officials said.

According to the NDTV report, investigators say Ahmed relied on three methods to shortlist and recruit people. These included finding out and engaging in conversations to gauge interest in religious or separatist themes, scanning social media accounts for extremist sympathies and then watching those who prayed regularly at mosques. This approach was reportedly used by Ahmed on multiple suspects, including Adeel Ahmad Rather and later Jasir Bilal Wani.

Sources said Ahmed would often appear casual or friendly while actually analysing whether a person might engage in deeper ideological conversations. If the response was encouraging, he worked to establish trust before sharing radical content.