Ahmedabad: Just a week ago, city police arrested a Syrian national, busting a racket of individuals extorting money from people by posing as Gaza victims. Now, a nationwide manhunt has been launched against three of his associates.

The detainee, identified as Meghat Alzaher, was picked up from an Ellisbridge hotel last month following a tip-off. He and his companions allegedly posed as Gaza residents collecting donations for war victims. Interrogation later revealed they were Syrians who had entered India on tourist visas from Damascus and had been travelling across the country for three months.

The three missing men — Ahmed Ohed Alhbash, Zakaria Haitham Alzahar, and Yousef Khalid Alzahar — fled after learning about Meghat’s arrest and were last traced to Bengaluru. A Look Out Circular (LOC) has been issued, while central agencies are monitoring airports, borders, and financial channels. Investigators have also sought assistance from the Ministry of External Affairs to verify their identities.

Police suspect that the group channelled funds collected from unsuspecting donors to Damascus through an angadia network. “The money trail is suspicious. Large amounts have been sent to Syria under the guise of aid,” a senior crime branch officer said, adding that possible links to terror funding are being probed. DeshGujarat