IS ‘OPERATIVE’ HELD IN MUMBAI
Man nabbed from the airport was allegedly involved in the recruitment of potential terrorists from UP.
LUCKNOW: The Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) arrested an alleged Islamic State operative from the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai on Saturday.
Abu Zaid was allegedly involved in the recruitment of potential men from western Uttar Pradesh for terror activities.
Inspector general of police (ATS) Asim Arun said Zaid – hailing from Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh — was in constant touch with four terror suspects who were arrested in April this year. Zaid’s name surfaced during the interrogation that followed, and a lookout notice was issued.
Zaid was arrested as soon as he landed in Mumbai from Riyadh in Saudi Arabia, where he had set up base. He had allegedly formed a social media group to radicalise disgruntled youngsters and lure them into the Islamic State’s fold. “The suspect will be brought to Lucknow after a transit remand is obtained from a Mumbai court, and he will be further interrogated,” Arun said.
The police officer identified the four terror suspects arrested earlier as Umar and Mufti (both residents of Bijnor); Ghazi Baba from Unnao; and Zaqwan from Narkatiaganj in Bihar. They used to communicate through a special application on the Internet, and Zaid was the key operator.
Arun said the four were held in a joint operation with police teams from five other states.
“The four were involved in recruiting youths, generating funds and arranging arms and ammunition to carry out terror activities,” he added.
Questioning of the arrested suspects revealed they wanted to eliminate six targets, including Pakistan-born Canadian writer Tarek Fatah. Umar, who was employed in Mumbai, had even allegedly conducted a recce to target the writer during one of his visits to India.
“The suspect used to watch the writer’s television show on a popular channel and keep tabs on his movements in India,” the inspector general said.
Fatah figured in their hit list because he opposed the sharia, and propagated a liberal and progressive form of Islam. “The suspects, however, realised that targeting the writer was no easy task. So, they prepared an alternative plan to attack other people and places,” the officer said.