Ahmedabad, India – In a significant counter-terrorism operation, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has apprehended three individuals, including a doctor from Hyderabad, Telangana, for allegedly plotting a terror attack in India. The suspects, believed to have links to the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), were allegedly conspiring to manufacture the deadly toxin ricin and had acquired weapons smuggled from Pakistan via drones.
The arrested have been identified as Dr. Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed, 35, a medical practitioner from Hyderabad who studied medicine in China; Azad Suleman Sheikh, 20, a tailor from Shamli district in Uttar Pradesh; and Mohammad Suhail Mohammad Saleem Khan, 23, a student from Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh.
According to the ATS, Dr. Saiyed was intercepted near the Adalaj Toll Plaza on the Ahmedabad-Mehsana Road. Upon searching his vehicle, authorities discovered two Glock pistols, one Beretta pistol, 30 live cartridges, and approximately four liters of castor oil, a key ingredient in ricin production, stored in a 10-liter plastic container.
Investigations revealed that Dr. Saiyed was in contact with several individuals from Pakistan and was allegedly taking instructions from Abu Khadija, an Afghan resident associated with ISKP. He had reportedly collected the weapons from a predetermined location near Kalol in Gandhinagar district. The weapons were allegedly delivered via drone from across the Pakistan border.
ATS officials stated that Dr. Saiyed, who holds an MBBS degree from China, had been researching and preparing ricin, intending to use the deadly poison in a major terrorist incident. He had procured laboratory materials, chemical equipment, and raw ingredients for the process.
Preliminary interrogations of Sheikh and Khan revealed that they harbored extremist ideologies and had conducted reconnaissance of sensitive locations in Lucknow, Delhi, and Ahmedabad. They admitted to receiving the weapons from their handler via drones operating from the Pakistan border.
DIG Sunil Joshi of the Gujarat ATS stated that the operation was launched following confidential information received by Deputy SP S. L. Chaudhary, indicating Dr. Saiyed's involvement in a conspiracy to carry out a terrorist attack in India.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities are working to uncover the full extent of the plot and the network of individuals involved. The arrests highlight the continued threat of terrorism and the importance of cross-border cooperation in combating such activities.
