2 ISIS members, part of a sleeping cell, arrested at Mumbai airport
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two key absconders allegedly linked to a sleeper cell of the terrorist outfit ISIS at Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, officials said on Saturday. The arrests mark a major breakthrough in the agency's ongoing efforts to dismantle ISIS's operations in India.
The suspects, identified as Abdullah Faiyaz Shaikh, also known as Diaperwala, and Talha Khan, were intercepted late Friday night by the Bureau of Immigration at Terminal 2 as they attempted to return to India from Jakarta, Indonesia, where they had been in hiding.
According to an official statement from the NIA, the duo were wanted in connection with a 2023 case involving the fabrication and testing of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in Pune, Maharashtra. The case pertains to a broader criminal conspiracy involving a sleeper cell of ISIS operatives, with plans to carry out terrorist acts across India.
'These individuals were on the run for over two years and were declared absconders. Non-bailable warrants had been issued against them by the NIA Special Court in Mumbai,' the agency stated. A cash reward of ₹3 lakh each had also been announced for information leading to their capture.
The NIA investigation has revealed that Shaikh and Khan were actively involved in assembling IEDs at a rented residence in Pune's Kondhwa area. During 2022-2023, they had reportedly organized a bomb-making training workshop at the same location, where a controlled explosion was conducted to test an IED they had manufactured.
Both men have already been chargesheeted, along with eight other accused ISIS operatives, who are currently in judicial custody. The group allegedly aimed to disrupt India's internal peace and communal harmony, with the ultimate goal of establishing Islamic rule in India through violent means as per ISIS's extremist ideology.
The other arrested individuals in the case include Mohammed Imran Khan, Mohammed Yunus Saki, Abdul Kadir Pathan, Simab Nasiruddin Kazi, Zulfikar Ali Barodawala, Shamil Nachan, Akif Nachan, and Shahnawaz Alam.
The NIA has booked all ten accused under multiple provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosive Substances Act, Arms Act, and the Indian Penal Code.
Officials emphasized that the arrests underscore India's zero-tolerance policy towards terrorism and reaffirm the NIA's commitment to preventing ISIS and similar extremist organizations from gaining a foothold in the country.
The two accused are expected to be produced before the NIA Special Court for further legal proceedings.
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