CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), in coordination with the state intelligence, has arrested three individuals who had been absconding for nearly three decades, Director General of Police (DGP) and head of the state police force, Shankar Jiwal, said on Friday.
Briefing reporters at the state police headquarters in Chennai, Jiwal announced the recent arrests of Sadiq Ali alias Tailor Raja, Abubacker Siddique, and Mohammad Ali alias Yunus alias Shaikh Mansoor. He revealed that the breakthrough was the result of two separate operations that had been ongoing for six months, involving intensive collection of both human (HUMINT) and technical (TECHINT) intelligence.
Abubacker Siddique, an expert in fabricating high-grade Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), had been absconding for 30 years and was wanted by central agencies and police forces in Kerala, Karnataka, and Tamil Nadu. He led a solitary life, frequently changing locations and leaving behind no recent photographs. Siddique was arrested in Rayachoti near Kadapa in Andhra Pradesh, along with Mohammad Ali, during Operation Aram, conducted in coordination with the Andhra Pradesh police. Both were remanded to judicial custody on 1 July. Subsequent interrogation of Siddique led to the discovery of explosives at his residence in Andhra Pradesh.
In a separate mission dubbed Operation Agazhi, the ATS apprehended Sadiq Ali alias Tailor Raja from Vijayapura town in North Karnataka. Wanted in four high-profile cases, including the 1998 Coimbatore serial bomb blasts, Raja had been on the run since 1996, completely cut off from both family and associates. Acting on both HUMINT and TECHINT, the ATS team arrested him on 9 July. He was remanded to judicial custody the following day.
DGP Jiwal praised the swift and efficient actions of the newly formed ATS, which was established in November 2023. “Within a short span of time, the ATS and state intelligence have scored a hat-trick of successes. It is a major achievement. Tamil Nadu will soon be free from terrorism and serious criminal activities,” he said.
He added that further investigations are underway to determine whether the arrested individuals had any international links, including foreign travel, and to trace their sources of funding.
When asked about recent custodial torture allegations, Jiwal maintained that the Tamil Nadu police is a professional force. “Such isolated incidents are regrettable but do not reflect the entire force. In all such cases, thorough investigations are carried out, and even apologies have been issued where warranted,” he said. He also urged journalists to keep the focus on the recent ATS operations.