Two major terror plots foiled: Doctors arrested in Faridabad and Hyderabad linked to explosives and ricin
PTC Web Desk: Two terror attacks were prevented this week following the arrest of medical professionals by law enforcement agencies, one in Faridabad near Delhi and the other in Hyderabad. The cases have raised alarm across India’s intelligence and security agencies due to links with ISIS and other terror networks.
Faridabad: Doctors caught with ammonium nitrate and firearms
Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested two doctors, Adil Ahmed Rather and Mujammil Shakeel, in Faridabad after recovering 350 kg of ammonium nitrate, a highly explosive chemical. Alongside the explosive material, the police seized detonators, two assault rifles, and ammunition. Hours after, the police recovered at least 2,563 kg of suspected explosives from another house in Haryana's Faridabad. This house in question was rented by Dr Mujammil Shakeel, a doctor from Jammu and Kashmir's Pulwama.
Authorities are also investigating a third medical professional, a woman, whose car reportedly contained two firearms and ammunition.
Adil Ahmed Rather earlier worked at Government Medical College in Anantnag, J&K, and was arrested for allegedly pasting posters in support of Jaish-e-Mohammed, a Pakistan-based terrorist group. Dr Shakeel is associated with Al-Falah Hospital in Faridabad.
Officials are still determining the exact target of the planned attack. Investigators are examining how such a large quantity of ammonium nitrate, a regulated substance, was procured and transported to Delhi, highlighting the emergence of a white-collar terror network extending from J&K to the national capital.
Hyderabad: Doctor arrested for preparing ricin
In a separate case, Dr Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed, who claimed to have obtained his medical degree from China, was arrested by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS). At the time of arrest near Adalaj in Gandhinagar, he was carrying two Glock pistols, a Beretta pistol, 30 bullets, and four litres of castor oil, a raw material used to produce ricin, a highly toxic chemical.
Officials said Dr Saiyed had been planning a chemical attack targeting sensitive locations in Delhi, Lucknow or Ahmedabad. His accomplices, Azad Suleman Sheikh (20) and Mohammad Suhail Mohammad Saleem (23) from Uttar Pradesh, have also been arrested. The accused revealed they received arms shipments from Pakistan, possibly through drone drops.
Dr Saiyed is reportedly connected to multiple terror groups via encrypted platforms like Telegram and had links to an Afghanistan-based handler, Abu Khadija, associated with the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP), a regional ISIS branch known for mass-casualty attacks.
- With inputs from agencies
