Pak handler in Mumbai terror plot identified

Mumbai: A day after the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested two men and claimed to have foiled the ONGC terror plot, the trail has led to a big breakthrough in investigations.

The arrested men, Abdul Latif and Riyaz Ali, have revealed that the man they spoke to in Pakistan is Bashir Khan - a fugitive in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, and a key aide of main accused Tiger Memon. (Read: Mumbai terror suspects linked to Dawood Ibrahim)

Bashir, whom they referred to as 'chacha', is also reportedly a paternal uncle of Abdul Latif.

Sources say the ATS is looking for 10 more associates of the two arrested. But the Ministry for Home Affairs has said that the ATS shared too much too soon with the public, and their enthusiasm for revealing what they found may have damaged the probe. (Read: Terror trail to Pak runs cold after investigators' gaffe)

So far, the ATS has the following details on Bashir:

• He operates from Karachi and is a key member of Tiger Memon's core team
• He was present in conspiratorial meetings at Tiger Memon's house in Mumbai, Dubai
• He was also present in meetings where Dawood Ibrahim planned the 1993 serial blasts
• He played a key role in landing, planting explosives in 1993 blasts
• He received weapons training from Pakistan's ISI