Delhi Police on Tuesday claimed to have unearthed a Pakistani ISI-backed terror module planning explosions and targeted killings during Navratri celebrations and Ramlila with the arrest of six suspected terrorists, including two who went to Pakistan for training earlier this year.
The Special Cell, the elite anti-terror unit of Delhi Police that cracked the module, also claimed that underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's brother Anees Ibrahim was funding the module through hawala operations and helping in logistics, including "safely" transporting the explosives from across the border and delivering it in various locations of the country.
Special Commissioner (Special Cell) Neeraj Thakur told a press conference that the simultaneous arrests in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan on Tuesday morning came following investigations into inputs provided by central intelligence agencies about a conspiracy from across the border about the possible plans to unleash terror across various cities.
The arrested have been identified as Jaan Mohammad Shaikh alias Sameer Kaliya (47), Osama (22), Moolchand alias Lala (47), Zeeshan Qamar (28), Mohd Abu Bakar (23) and Mohd Amir Javed (31).
According to Thakur, two of the six arrested -- Osama and Zeeshan -- were trained in Pakistan for 15 days in handling explosives and firearms, including AK-47. They had left India in April -- Osama left on April 22 and met Zeeshan in Oman -- for Muscat from where they reached Pakistan via ship and boat.
"The duo have told us that there were 14-15 Bangla speaking people who were travelling to Pakistan with them for similar training. This is closely coordinated from across the border," he said. While Thakur did not mention their nationality, a police statement said they were probably from Bangladesh.
They were taken to Jioni near Gwadar port in Pakistan from where they were taken to a farmhouse in Thatta.
Thakur also said the 'underworld' was also involved in the operations with Anees Ibrahim closely coordinating with the terror module. He has organised funds for the module through hawala operations besides getting the firearms across the border to India.
While one team focused on the transportation of the firearms, Thakur claimed, another team was tasked with finding locations for terror strikes and their plan was to target locations with heavy footfall during Navratri celebrations and Ramlila functions.
The recovery of sophisticated Italian pistols also showed that they were for targeted killings, Thakur said. A senior police official did not rule out the significance of the module ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections in five states, especially Uttar Pradesh.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Kushwaha said Sameer, who was arrested from Rajasthan's Kota, is a close contact of Anees Ibrahim and was tasked to ensure the smooth delivery of IEDs, sophisticated weapons and grenades to different entities in India.
Osama, who was arrested from Jamia Nagar in Delhi and Zeeshan, who was apprehended from Allahabad in UP, were allegedly assigned to conduct the reconnaissance of different suitable locations in Delhi and UP for placing the IEDs. Javed was apprehended from Lucknow and Moolchand from Rae Bareilly.
Check out latest videos from DH: