AHMEDABAD: The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has arrested a 23-year-old Syrian national for posing as a Gaza war victim to collect donations from mosques, which police say he diverted to fund his luxurious lifestyle. Officials warned the racket poses a potential threat to national security as some of his associates are suspected to have gone underground in India.The accused, identified as Ali Meghat Alzaher, was intercepted after police received a tip-off about foreigners visiting mosques in Ahmedabad under the guise of Gaza victims, he also allegedly posed as a victim of the war. “During our search, we intercepted Alzaher, whose profile looked suspicious. On questioning, he admitted to the fraud,” a senior Crime Branch officer said.During interrogation, Alzaher confessed that he was a Shia Muslim from Damascus, Syria, currently staying in a city hotel on a tourist visa. He admitted to travelling across Indian cities and, by falsely claiming to be a Gaza citizen, raising money from worshippers. Investigators said marks on his body suggested war injuries, but officials maintained he was “using those scars deliberately to evoke sympathy.”
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