Two terror attacks were averted this week following arrests – of medical professionals – by Jammu and Kashmir Police in Faridabad near Delhi and by Gujarat Police's Anti-Terror Squad in Hyderabad.
In the first instance, two doctors – Adil Ahmed Rather and Mujammil Shakeel – were arrested and a large quantity of explosives, including ammonium nitrate, was recovered, as well as detonators and two assault rifles with some ammunition. Officials are also investigating the role of a third medical professional, an as-yet unidentified woman in whose car two guns and ammunition were stored.
In the second, a Dr Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed, who claimed to have secured his medical degree from China, was arrested with three handguns and 30 bullets in his possession. Gujarat Police's Anti-Terror Squad also found four litres of castor oil – used to make a potent toxin called ricin.
The two cases have put the country's intelligence and security agencies on alert, particularly since officials found Saiyed has links to the Islamic State-Khorasan Province, a regional branch of the larger ISIS organisation, and which has been linked to various mass casualty events.
In fact, in October an intel file accessed by NDTV highlighted a covert alliance between the banned, Pakistan-based terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba and the ISKP, an alliance that was engineered and funded by Pak's Inter-Services Intelligence.
The Faridabad Terror Story
On Sunday night a Jammu and Kashmir Police team recovered 350kg of ammonium nitrate – an odourless, white chemical that, in the right conditions, can cause a massive explosion.
The recovery was made based on intel provided by Rather, a Kashmiri doctor arrested for allegedly pasting posters in support of Jaish-e-Mohammed, another Pak-based terrorist group, across Srinagar.
Adil Ahmed Rather, the J&K 'doctor' from whom guns and explosives were recovered.
The material – which included 20 timers, guns and ammunition, was found with another doctor, Shakeel, who worked at the Al-Falah Hospital in Faridabad.
Rather worked at the Government Medical College in J&K's Anantnag till last year.
An assault rifle was found at his locker at the college, the police said.
READ | 350 kg Explosives, Rifle Found Near Delhi, 2 J&K Doctors Arrested
The target of Rather and Shakeel's terror attack is still unclear.
However, some concerning questions must be asked, including how they procured such a vast quantity of ammonium nitrate, which is supposed to be a regulated substance, and how it was moved to Delhi.
NDTV Special | White Collar Terror Ecosystem In J&K, 2,900 kg Of IED-Making Material
What has emerged, though, is a worrying white-collar network of terror that extends from J&K into the national capital and beyond. Security agencies are now also tracking flow of funds.
The Ricin Poison Story
In this case, Saiyed's handler has known links to the ISKP terror module.
The doctor was allegedly preparing the highly-lethal chemical for a possible attack on sensitive locations in either Delhi, Lucknow, or Ahmedabad, a senior Gujarat ATS officer said Sunday.
Ricin is a chemical made from material left over from processing castor beans.
RECAP | Doctor, 2 Others Arrested In Gujarat For Planning Ricin Terror Attack
Locations in all three cities had been scouted by Saiyed's two accomplices – Azad Suleman Sheikh and Mohammad Suhail Mohammad Saleem – both of whom have been arrested.
The accused also confessed to receiving arms shipments from Pakistan via drone drops.
When Saiyed was arrested last week, near the town of Adalaj in Gandhinagar, he had with him two Glock semi-automatic pistols and a Beretta pistol, as well as the castor oil.
Sources told NDTV this morning Saiyed was affiliated to several terror groups operating via encrypted messaging platforms like Telegram, and was in touch with an Afghanistan-based handler, Abu Khadija.
At this time it is unclear if the ricin attack was ordered, or inspired, by ISKP.
