MANGALURU: It was the arrest of Mohammed Ali, founder of Islamic Guidance centre, which helped police bust the first terror sleeper cell in Mangaluru on October 3, 2008.
Based on the confession of Ali’s son Javed Ali, police raided a house in Chembugudde near Konaje. In the room, rented to Lashkar-e-Toiba member and Indian Mujahideen founder Riyaz Bhatkal, police found five bombs and 10 cellphones. The joint search operation ended with the arrest of Indian Mujahideen (IM) operatives Syed Mohammed Naushad and Ahmed Bava.
At Naushad’s house in Subashnagar the police recovered 11 items including maps, Jihadi materials and electronic circuit. On breaking into Muddasir’s house located next to Naushad’s house, police found maps of Gujarat, Rajasthan states, VCD and cash worth `11.39 lakh.
At Ahmed Bava’s residence in Haleyangadi, Police seized 28 items including 20 gelatin sticks, 19 aluminium detonators and 04 timers.
During subsequent raid on Mohammed Rafique’s three acre farm at Vittal Makki in Koppa taluk on October 17, 2008, the police had seized 38 items including amber bottles, chemicals, air rifle, shrapnel among others.
Third additional district and sessions court’s public prosecutor Narayan Sherigar said the testimony by explosive experts and owner of workshop helped in establishing the sleeper cell’s conspiracy to trigger blasts in different parts of the country.