Delhi terror module bust: Contact of Dawood Ibrahim's brother Anees was in conspiracy
NEW DELHI: Pakistan’s imprint in the busted terror module becomes clear as one of the arrested members was a close contact of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim's brother Anees, according to the Delhi Police.
Another two module members - Zeeshan Qamar and Osama - were trained by Pakistan's spy agency Inter-Service Intelligence and tasked to conduct the reconnaissance of potential targets in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh for planting IEDs, said DCP (Special Cell) Pramod Singh Kushwaha.
The DCP added that the arrests exposed the nexus of ISI sponsored and trained terror modules with underworld operatives. "Jan Mohammad Ali Shaikh alias 'Sameer', a close contact of Anees Ibrahim, was tasked by a Pakistan-based person connected with underworld operatives hiding in Pakistan, to ensure the smooth delivery of IEDs, weapons and grenades to different entities in India.
Joint Commissioner (Special Cell) Neeraj Thakur said that Zeeshan and Osama left for Muscat on April 22 after the duo finished their training in Pakistan. "The two stated that there were 15-16 other Bangla speaking persons and that they might have also been given the same training. It looks like the operation was closely monitored from across the borders," he said.
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"They formed two teams of which one was coordinated by Anees Ibrahim. It was tasked to ensure safe delivery of IEDs, weapons, and grenades to different places of Delhi and safely conceal them till they were assigned the targets. They were also working towards organising funding through hawala," Thakur said.
Apart from Delhi and UP, the terror module was planning serial blasts and targeted killings in Maharashtra and other states during Navratri, Diwali and Dussehra, the police said, adding that the UP election was also a likely target.
RDX fitted improvised explosive devices and grenades were to be planted at high footfall areas, the police said, adding that the seized pistols were of Italian make. Explosives and firearms were confiscated from Allahabad in an operation which was done in coordination with the UP Anti-Terrorism Squad.
Interrogation revealed that the module received IEDs, grenades, pistols and cartridges from a sleeper cell operative and these were sent to UP for safe concealment. "The consignments were to be handed over to other terror operatives in Delhi, Mumbai and other parts of the country. Subsequently, more deliveries of similar IED consignments were to be done through the same channel," said Kushwaha.