Gujarat ATS arrests doctor, two others in ‘ricin’ terror plot
Dr Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed and two men from UP were allegedly plotting a chemical attack; Saiyed, allegedly linked to ISKP, was making ricin poison, claim cops
The Gujarat Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) has arrested three persons, including a doctor, for allegedly being involved in a conspiracy to carry out a major terrorist attack with weapons and chemicals.
The accused, one of whom hails from Telangana and two from Uttar Pradesh, were allegedly in Gujarat to exchange weapons and they allegedly conspired to carry out terrorist activities involving a potent poison, “ricin”, Gujarat ATS DIG Sunil Joshi told the media.
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According to him, the accused men have disclosed that their handler sends the arms consignment via a drone across the Pakistan border.
Pistols, cartridges seized
Acting on specific information, an ATS team on Friday (November 7) arrested Dr Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed, a resident of Hyderabad, with two Glock pistols, a Beretta pistol, 30 live cartridges and four litres of castor oil, near Adalaj in Gandhinagar, Joshi told reporters on Sunday.
On interrogation, Saiyed reportedly revealed that he was plotting to carry out terrorist activities and had collected the weapons from an isolated place at Kalol in Gandhinagar district.
The official said Saiyed’s handler, Abu Khadija, was a resident of Afghanistan associated with the ISKP (Islamic State Khorasan Province), and he has also been in contact with several individuals from Pakistan.
MBBS from China
“To execute a major terrorist attack, Saiyed, who earned his MBBS degree in China, has been preparing a highly lethal poison named “ricin”. He had already started the necessary research, procured equipment and raw materials, and initiated the initial chemical processing,” Joshi said.
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According to Joshi, Saiyed is highly educated but radicalised, and had planned to collect funds and recruit persons as part of a conspiracy to carry out major terrorist activities.
The ATS team also arrested some persons who allegedly supplied weapons to Saiyed based on information collected from his mobile phone, he said.
Recce of Lucknow, Delhi, Ahmedabad
The other accused, Azad Suleman Sheikh and Mohammad Suhail Mohammad Saleem, both hailing from Uttar Pradesh, were arrested in Banaskantha district, the official said. The duo allegedly procured weapons from Hanumangadh in Rajasthan and supplied them to Saiyed, Joshi said.
“The preliminary probe has revealed that the accused had recced several sensitive locations in Lucknow, Delhi and Ahmedabad. When questioned about the source of weapons, they disclosed that their handler sends the arms consignment via drone across the Pakistan border,” he said.
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The official said the trio has been booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita and Arms Act, and Saiyed has been remanded in ATS custody till November 17, while the two others will be produced before a court on Sunday.
Whether they are involved with the ISKP is a matter of investigation, he said, adding that the Gujarat ATS was also investigating the case in different states.
(With agency inputs)