The anti-terror squad was tipped off by police in Indore

The Madhya Pradesh Police's Anti-Terror Squad has arrested three men in connection with a terror-funding case in Satna district. The arrests, which were carried out on Wednesday night, came after a total of five suspects, four of whom have been identified as Balram Singh, Bhagvendra Singh, Sunil Singh and Shumbham Tiwari, were detained by the Crime Branch of the district police on orders from the anti-terror squad.

Police arrested three of the five - Balram Singh, Sunil Singh and Shumbham Tiwari - after detailed questioning. The other two, including the as yet unidentified fourth man, are still being interrogated.

The detained men reportedly have links to, and associates in, both Indore and Bhopal. The anti-terror squad had been tipped off to the terror-funding operation by police in Indore.

The mobile phones of the five detained men contain Pakistani phone numbers, according to police sources in Satna familiar with the ongoing investigation. The suspects had been in contact with at least 15 such numbers over WhatsApp calls and chats.

The arrests come a little over two years after the anti-terror squad busted an alleged Chinese Sim-enabled terror-funding and espionage ring.

In June, the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) issued a strong warning to Pakistan, stating that the country could be blacklisted unless it fulfils an "action plan" against UN-designated terrorists operating on its soil by October.

"The FATF strongly urges Pakistan to swiftly complete its action plan by October 2019, when the last set of action plan items are set to expire," the world body said in a statement. "Otherwise, the FATF will decide the next step at that time for insufficient progress."

The global watchdog has already put Pakistan on its "grey list" of countries with inadequate controls over curbing money laundering and terrorism financing.