Mumbai. Three ISIS suspects were arrested by Uttar Pradesh anti-terrorism squad (ATS) and Delhi Police special cell arrested on charges of terror conspiracy.
The three men were arrested from Mumbai, Ludhiana and Bijnor.
Searches were carried out in Mumbai (Maharashtra), Jalandhar (Punjab), Narkatiaganj (Bihar), Bijnor (Uttar Pradesh) and Muzaffarnagar (Uttar Pradesh).
According to sources in the ATS, one of the accused, who was arrested from Mumbra in Mumbai, is an ISIS recruiter for Maharashtra. Several SIM cards were seized from the 26-year-old’s house.
In fresh development, the ATS has detained a suspect from Narkatiaganj in Bihar while two suspects from Mumbai have been detained.
Besides Uttar Pradesh ATS and Delhi Police special cell, the crime investigation department of Andhra Pradesh Police, Maharashtra ATS, Bihar Police and Punjab Police were part of the operation.
Further investigation is on and six people are being questioned by police.
The group was planning to launch strikes and a massive recruitment drive was on when the module was busted.
POSSIBLE CRIMINAL CONSPIRACY
The anti-terror operation, which was on since the last five days, led to the arrests this morning.
An ATS source said, “The gang was operating nationwide. Several agencies were on it. For the last 15 to 30 days, a close watch was kept on the gang and its members were tracked. On Wednesday night, the places were raided simultaneously.”
Uttar Pradesh ADG (law and order) said no incriminating evidence has been found as of now but called it a “possible criminal conspiracy”.
The officer said that those arrested are self-radicalised and do not have liaison with any group.
THE LUCKNOW SIEGE
Nearly a month ago, police had busted an ISIS-inspired terror module and one of its suspected members, Saifullah, was killed in a 12-hour siege and anti-terror operation in Lucknow. The module was allegedly involved in the Ujjain train blast.
According to the National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe reports, the ISIS-inspired module had made a failed attempt to carry out an explosion at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally in Lucknow on Dussehra last year.
