Major op: ISIS module sponsored by Pakistan’s ISI busted, three arrested
New Delhi: In a major anti-terrorism operation, Delhi Police conducted coordinated raids in multiple locations across Delhi, Dehradun, Aligarh, Lucknow, Moradabad, and Prayagraj, resulting in the busting of an ISIS module that was allegedly sponsored by Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
The operation led to the arrest of three ISIS operatives, including the most wanted terrorist Shahnawaz Alam (31), a native of Jharkhand’s Hazaribagh, officials informed on Monday.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Shahnawaz Alam alias Abdullah (31), Mohammad Rizwan Ashraf (28) a resident of Lucknow and Mohd Arshad Warsi (29), a resident of Jharkhand, presently living in Delhi’s Jamia Nagar.
Shahnawaz Alam had a reward of Rs 3 lakh on his arrest, as declared by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). He had absconded from Pune in August of this year and was previously involved in numerous cases of armed robbery and other crimes.
Special CP Special Cell HGS Dhaliwal stated that during the operation, the investigators recovered a semi-automatic pistol of .32 bore with seven live cartridges, along with incriminating materials used in making improvised explosive devices (IEDs).
The recovery included plastic canes containing chemicals, glass bottles with acid, small-sized steel balls, matchstick boxes, iron pipes, an electronic weighing machine, thermometer, surgical gloves, various raw materials, remote key, LED decoration lights, batteries, a timer watch, crackers, electronic devices such as mobile phones and pen drives were also recovered from the rented accomodation. Additionally, geographical maps of India were also seized.
Adding further Dhaliwal said, the Special Cell had been closely monitoring the activities of suspected ISIS operatives and their connections in Delhi, with a focus on those with ties to Pakistan-based and protected terrorists, Farahtullah Gauri and Shahid Faisal.
These fugitives, who were involved in the Akshardham Temple attack case and are presently residing in Pakistan, were believed to be orchestrating the ISIS facade in India on behalf of the ISI.
The operation unveiled a network spanning Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, and Maharashtra. Earlier, two ISIS operatives, Imran Khan and Yunus Saaki, were arrested in Pune, Maharashtra, but Shahnawaz Alam managed to escape from police custody. The case was subsequently transferred to the NIA, which announced the reward for Shahnawaz Alam’s capture, Dhaliwal mentioned.
Acting on credible inputs, coordinated raids were executed across Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, with the assistance of the Central Intelligence Agency
and respective state police agencies.
One of the arrested individuals, Md. Arshad Warsi, revealed that Shahnawaz Alam was involved in planning terrorist activities in Delhi and its vicinity, having procured arms, ammunition, and explosives while setting up a base in the capital. Mohammad Rizwan Ashraf, another arrestee, revealed that he was a member of ISIS and communicated with foreign-based handlers, providing insight into the module’s activities.
Following these disclosures, a raid was conducted in Delhi, resulting in the apprehension of Shahnawaz Alam, who was found in possession of a .32 bore pistol and live cartridges. Subsequently, components used in making IEDs were recovered from his rented accommodation, the officials confirmed.
