KOZHIKODE: After the arrest of Thadiyantavide Nazeer, the kingpin of the Indian Mujahidheen and Lashkar-e-Taiba, in Bangladesh, the attention of security agencies will now shift to Sabir alias Ayub, the other key figure in the terror network.
Hailing from Kannur City, Ayub is a co-accused in the plot to assassinate former Chief Minister E K Nayanar. He, along with Nazeer, is involved in the case related to planting of a bomb at the Coimbatore Press Club.
Nazeer and Ayub are the key figures who established the IM network in Kerala.
Ayub had escaped to Dubai after the police arrested members of the Kerala module of IM. Sources said Ayub kept shifting base from one place to another.
He was last spotted in Bahrain.
Ayub had received the five youths selected for terror training at Delhi. The arrangements for their stay in Delhi was made by Abdul Hameed alias Amir Ali as per instructions from Nazeer.
Ayub took the five youths from Delhi to Jammu and Kashmir. From Srinagar he drove a white Maruti Gypsy to the terror camp at Kupwara.
Abdul Jabbar, the lone survivor among the five, told interrogators that Ayub was well-acquainted with the route.
Ibrahim Moulavi from Vellamunda in Wayanad and Umar Farooq from Malappuram are the other two wanted persons.
Though Nazeer’s arrest is a big breakthrough, the fact that IM co-founder Ismail Shabandri alias Riyaz Bhatkal alias Sharukh and his brother Iqbal are still at large is a matter of concern for security agencies.
Intelligence agencies have intercepted a call Riyaz made from Pakistan to India a few months ago. Iqbal is suspected to be operating from within the country.