Two UP-based terror suspects among 3 arrested by Guj ATS
LUCKNOW, Nov. 10 -- In a coordinated multi-location operation, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Sunday arrested two Uttar Pradesh-based terror suspects along with another, a resident of Hyderabad, from Banaskantha district of Gujarat, confirmed senior UP ATS officials.
The trio, suspected to have links with ISIS, was allegedly preparing for terror attacks in different parts of the country, they said.
According to a senior police official, the arrested accused have been identified as Azad Suleman Sheikh, 20, from Kairana in Shamli district, Mohammad Sahool, 23, from Lakhimpur Kheri district, and Ahmed Mohiyuddin Sayed, 35, a resident of Hyderabad. The official said Sheikh is a tailor by profession while Sahool is a student. "We are tracking their network in Shamli and Lakhimpur Kheri," a UP ATS official said.
Sayed is a medical doctor who completed his MBBS degree in China and is believed to be associated with the ISIS-linked "Khurasan" network. During the operation, ATS teams recovered three pistols, 30 live cartridges and a large quantity of chemicals, officials said.
According to officials, the trio was operating two separate terror modules and was planning attacks at multiple locations across India. They said the Gujarat ATS teams had been tracking the suspects for several days and confirmed through intelligence inputs that they were working for ISIS.
The weapons supplied by Sheikh and Sahool were reportedly handed over to Sayed for the execution of planned terror strikes, officials said.
Another police official said that the initial information was on Ahmed Mohiyuddin Sayed, allegedly hiding in Ahmedabad and preparing for an attack. "The ATS team intercepted a Ford Figo car near Adalaj Toll Plaza on the Ahmedabad-Mehsana Road. Sayed was driving the car. During the search, the team recovered two Glock pistols, one Beretta pistol, 30 cartridges, and four litres of castor oil, which is believed to have been procured for preparation of explosives. During interrogation, Sayed revealed a hidden cache of weapons near a graveyard-like location close to Kalol. Investigators also found that he was working on an explosive device named 'Raigin', for which he had purchased chemicals and other components. After examining Sayed's mobile data, the ATS received crucial leads that pointed to the two UP-based suspects," the official said. "Based on this information, Azad Suleman Sheikh and Mohammad Sahool were arrested from Banaskantha district in Gujarat," he added.
He further stated that during interrogation, the UP-based terror suspects confessed to bringing weapons from Hanumangarh (Rajasthan) and conducting reconnaissance at several sensitive locations in Lucknow, Delhi and Ahmedabad. The official said investigators have also found links between the trio and Abu Khadija, an ISKP (Islamic State Khorasan Province) handler who allegedly sent weapons via drones from across the Pakistan border.
He said a case has been registered against the three suspects under the Arms Act and other relevant sections. "Sayed has been produced in court and remanded to police custody till November 17. ATS investigations are underway to identify the targets, handlers and deeper network of the terror modules," he added....
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