Pakistani Handler 'Abu' Gave Rs 4 Lakh To Sri Lankan ISIS Suspects, BJP & RSS Leaders Were Target: Gujarat ATS

(MENAFN- AsiaNet News) The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested four suspected ISIS terrorists at Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad on Monday. According to the ATS, the suspects, all Sri Lankan nationals, allegedly planned to carry out terror attacks targeting BJP and RSS leaders in retaliation for 'atrocities against Muslims,' with assistance from their handler in Pakistan.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Mohammed Nusrath Gani, 33, Mohammed Nafran, 27, Mohammed Faris, 35, and Mohammed Rasdin, 43.

Gujarat Director General of Police Vikas Sahai, in his address to the media following the arrest, stated that the four suspects are "active and highly radicalised members of the banned terrorist organization Islamic State (IS)."

Harsh Upadhyay, Deputy Superintendent of Police, reportedly received intelligence indicating that "four terrorists were likely to reach Ahmedabad by train or air on May 18 or 19 to carry out terrorist activities."

Teams of ATS officers kept surveillance and discovered that the four suspects were traveling by air from Chennai, having arrived there from Colombo. As the suspects only spoke Tamil, the police needed a translator to assist with the questioning.

During the interrogation, Sahai mentioned that the four revealed they were being assisted by their Pakistani handler, known only as Abu.

"Abu gave Rs 4 lakh in Sri Lankan currency to the four suspects to carry out terror activities," Sahai added.

He further detailed that the ATS found numerous photos in the suspects' cell phone gallery, which included images of geo-coordinates for weapons hidden in Ahmedabad's Nana Chiloda area.

An ATS press noted said, "Abu had sent them photos of weapons, its location including geo coordinates through proton drive and proton mail and list of targets. Following the information, the ATS officials claimed to have found three pistols from a pink colour parcel and a black flag from a location in Nana Chioda area. The pistols bear star marks but their serial numbers have been deliberately removed so that its origin can't be traced."

From the parcel, the ATS also found 20 rounds of ammunition with "FATA" written on them

"Prima facie, the three pistols are Norinco Type 54 model and ammunition is made of Pakistan's erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) while the black flag is of IS," the note added.

The suspects informed ATS officials that they were previously members of another radical militant outfit, 'National Thowheed Jamath,' which was banned following the Easter Bombing in April 2019 that killed over 250 people. In February 2024, they came into contact with Abu, a Pakistan-based IS handler, and were subsequently radicalised.

They have been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Arms Act, and sections of the Indian Penal Code, including 120B (criminal conspiracy) and 121A (waging war against the Government of India), among other charges.

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