Gujarat ATS arrests three suspects for planning terror attacks across India, recovers arms
The Gujarat ATS said that the arrested suspects were planning to carry out terrorist attacks in various parts of the country.
The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Sunday announced that it has arrested three suspects in connection with the conspiracy to plan terrorist attacks across the country, recovering arms and several rounds of ammunition from them.
According to a report by news agency ANI, the suspects have been identified as Ahmed Mohiuddin Syed, Mohammad Suhel and Azad. The ATS said that the three suspects were nabbed while supplying weapons.
According to the officials quoted in the report, the arrested suspects were planning to carry out terrorist attacks in various parts of the country.
The ATS also revealed that two Glock pistols, one Beretta pistol, 30 live cartridges, and 4 litres of castor oil were recovered from the possession of the arrested suspects.
"Gujarat ATS arrested Dr Ahmed Mohiuddin Syed s/o Abdul Khadar Jeelani, Mohd Suhel s/o Mohd Suleman, Azad s/o Suleman Saifi, from near Adalaj Toll Plaza. Two Glock pistols, one Beretta pistol, 30 live cartridges, and 4 litres of castor oil were recovered from them. All three were arrested while supplying weapons. They were planning to carry out terrorist attacks in various parts of the country," Gujarat ATS said in their statement.
Gujarat ATS DIG Sunil Joshi revealed that one of the accused, Syed Ahmed Mohiuddin, had done an MBBS from China and “wanted to commit a terrorist activity that would cause huge harm”. The officer said that the accused was in contact with many foreigners, including a Telegram ID, Abu Khadeja, supposedly from Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP).
The officer claimed that Mohiuddin initiated a process to prepare Ricin, a chemical poison that can be synthesised from the waste material left over from processing castor beans. He came to Ahmedabad to receive a delivery of weapons.
“He received the weapons delivery from Kalol. The other two suspects from UP were located in Banaskantha, Gujarat... They are from Lakhimpur and Shamli, named Azad Suleman Shiekh and Mohd Suhel Salim Khan. Both have received 'Deeni' education and are radicals, and are in contact with people abroad. They conducted Reiki in crowded areas of Lucknow, Delhi, and Ahmedabad. Their movement was also recorded in Kashmir. They received the delivery from Hanumangarh, Rajasthan and dropped in Kalol,” ANI quoted the DIG as saying.
Further investigation into the case is underway. One of the accused has been sent to police remand till November 17, while the other two will be produced in the court on Sunday itself.
Gujarat ATS’s earlier arrests in terror plot cases
This is not the first time this year that the Gujarat ATS has announced the busting of a terror module in the state. The agency had earlier this year arrested several Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) terrorists, including a woman from Bengaluru who was allegedly running an online terror module and had links to Pakistani contacts.
The ATS had arrested a 30-year-old woman, Sama Parveen, from Bengaluru for her alleged links with the terrorist organisation Al Qaeda in July. According to Gujarat ATS Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Sunil Joshi, the woman was apprehended in connection with Al Qaeda.
Her arrest followed the earlier detention of several individuals linked to the case.
The ATS arrested four terrorists with alleged links to AQIS on July 23. The arrested accused were identified as Mohammad Faiq from Delhi, Mohammad Fardeen from Ahmedabad, Sefullah Kureshi from Modasa in Gujarat’s Aravalli district, and Zeeshan Ali from Uttar Pradesh's Noida. Documents related to Operation Sindoor were also recovered from their possession.
DIG Sunil Joshi said all four suspects were under surveillance for activities suspected to be connected to AQIS, a proscribed terror outfit affiliated with Al Qaeda.
The operation was conducted based on specific intelligence inputs and coordinated surveillance, he added.
