According to Gujarat ATS DIG Sunil Joshi, the suspects — one from Telangana and two from Uttar Pradesh — were in Gujarat to exchange weapons and had conspired to use a deadly poison, ricin, in their planned attack
Officers seized two Glock pistols, a Beretta pistol, 30 live cartridges and four litres of castor oil from him. Representational Pic/File
The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) has arrested three men, including a doctor, for allegedly plotting a terrorist attack involving weapons and toxic chemicals, an official said on Sunday, reported the PTI.
According to Gujarat ATS DIG Sunil Joshi, the suspects — one from Telangana and two from Uttar Pradesh — were in Gujarat to exchange weapons and had conspired to use a deadly poison, ricin, in their planned attack. The accused also claimed their handler was sending arms consignments across the Pakistan border using drones, the news agency reported on Sunday.
Acting on a tip-off, the ATS team detained Dr Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed, a resident of Hyderabad, Telangana, near Adalaj in Gandhinagar on November 7.
Officers seized two Glock pistols, a Beretta pistol, 30 live cartridges and four litres of castor oil from him, as per the PTI.
During interrogation, Saiyed allegedly admitted that he had been plotting terrorist activities and had collected the weapons from an isolated spot in Kalol, Gandhinagar district. His handler, identified as Abu Khadija — an Afghan national linked to the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) — was reportedly in contact with individuals in Pakistan, Joshi said, according to the PTI.
“To execute a major terrorist attack, Saiyed, who holds an MBBS degree from China, had begun producing a highly lethal poison known as ricin. He had already started research, procured the necessary equipment and materials, and initiated the chemical process,” Joshi added, reported the PTI.
The ATS described Saiyed as “highly educated and radicalised” and said that he was planning to raise funds and recruit individuals for a larger terrorist conspiracy, the news agency reported.
Based on information retrieved from Saiyed’s mobile phone, the ATS also arrested two weapon suppliers — Azad Suleman Sheikh and Mohammad Suhail Mohammad Saleem — both from Uttar Pradesh. They were apprehended in Banaskantha district after allegedly sourcing arms from Hanumangarh, Rajasthan, and delivering them to Saiyed, according to the PTI.
The investigation further revealed that the trio had carried out reconnaissance of sensitive locations in Lucknow, Delhi, and Ahmedabad. The accused claimed that their handler used drones to transport weapons across the Pakistan border.
All three have been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita, and the Arms Act. Saiyed has been remanded in ATS custody until November 17, while the two others were due to be produced in court on Sunday.
Whether the suspects have direct links with ISKP remains under investigation, with the Gujarat ATS coordinating with other states to probe the case further.
(with PTI inputs)
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