Fake Aadhar and foreign handlers, were there preparations to terrorize Delhi? Police arrested 8 people from Tamil Nadu and West Bengal

Delhi: The Special Cell of Delhi Police has busted a big terrorist module and arrested eight suspects. According to officials, this module is suspected to be linked to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Bangladesh-based extremist organizations. The arrests were made during a joint operation conducted in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

Police suspect that this group was planning a major terrorist attack in India on the instructions of foreign handlers. Six accused – Mizanur Rahman, Mohammed Shabat, Omar, Mohammed Liton, Mohammed Shahid and Mohammed Ujjal – have been detained from garment units in Tiruppur district of Tamil Nadu. Two other suspects have been arrested from West Bengal.

What did the investigating agencies say?

According to the investigating agencies, some Bangladeshi citizens are also included among the arrested persons. It is alleged that they were using fake Aadhaar cards to hide their identity. All the accused are being brought to Delhi for further interrogation and legal process.

Delhi Police Special Cell said that this action started after investigation of pro-terrorist posts on online platforms. During the investigation, the team reached Tiruppur with the help of local police. There it was found that six accused were working in garment factories of the area and fake Aadhaar cards were found with them.

What items were recovered from the accused?

During the operation, the police recovered eight mobile phones and 16 SIM cards. Their forensic investigation is being done so that clues related to digital evidence and other possible networks can be found.

How was this module identified?

This module first came to light when inflammatory posters were put up at more than 10 places in the national capital in recent days. These posters were also found inside the Delhi Metro complex. References related to Kashmir and slogans like ‘Free Kashmir’ were written in these posters. While investigating the source of the posters, the Special Cell reached a network which was being operated from Tamil Nadu. These arrests were made on the basis of this investigation.

Has such a case happened before?

This case is similar to another suspicious module that came to light recently. In that case, after investigating the posters put up in Jammu and Kashmir, the agencies had reached Al-Falah University located in Faridabad. Some people were found working as doctors there, whose names later surfaced in the Red Fort blast case.

A day before these arrests, security agencies had issued a high alert in the national capital. It was feared in the intelligence input that Pakistan-based organization Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) could target crowded religious and historical places. According to sources, a temple in Chandni Chowk area was said to be a possible target. Besides, there was also suspicion of a conspiracy to carry out an IED attack in the sensitive areas around the Red Fort.

Officials have described Sunday’s action as a major success in foiling a possible terrorist plot. Further investigation in the case is underway to identify other suspects, funding networks and cross-border links.