A doctor among the three ISIS operatives arrested by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) was allegedly preparing ricin, a highly toxic chemical, and had surveyed crowded food markets across three cities, officials revealed on Monday.
According to police, the doctor had conducted reconnaissance of Delhi's Azadpur Mandi, Ahmedabad's Naroda fruit market, and the RSS office in Lucknow over the past six months. These spots, chosen for their dense crowds and high public activity, were being considered as potential targets.
The ATS said the doctor, identified as Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed, 35, from Hyderabad, was exploring ways to weaponise ricin, a protein extracted from castor plant seeds, for use in a possible attack.
Ricin poisoning is rare and typically occurs only when the seeds are ingested. While the toxin can be fatal in large doses, experts say cases of criminal use are uncommon and the condition is generally treatable with timely medical care.
"To execute a major terrorist attack, Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed had been preparing a highly lethal poison named 'Ryzin' (Ricin). For this purpose, he had already begun necessary research, procured equipment, raw materials, and initiated the initial chemical processing required for its preparation," Gujarat ATS said in an official statement.
The ATS and central agencies are now analysing seized material and electronic evidence to trace the source of chemicals and determine whether any experimental preparation of ricin had begun.
Also Read: J&K Police foil terror plot in Faridabad; 350kg explosives seized
The men, two from Uttar Pradesh and one from Hyderabad, were arrested in a joint operation with central agencies. Preliminary questioning suggested they were part of a larger ISIS-linked network with several sleeper cells operating across states.
Acting on a tip-off, an ATS team arrested Saiyed on November 7 with two Glock pistols, a Beretta pistol, 30 live cartridges and four litres of castor oil, near Adalaj in Gandhinagar.Two other terrorists arrested by the ATS from Uttar Pradesh are Azad Suleman Sheikh and Mohammad Suhail Mohammad Saleem.
Notably, Saiyed holds an MBBS degree from China, and was in contact with Abu Khadim, a member of the Islamic State - Khorasan Province (ISKP), a regional branch of ISIS.
"Dr Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed is highly educated and radicalised, and had planned to collect funds and recruit persons as part of a conspiracy to carry out major terrorist activities," Gujarat ATS DIG Sunil Joshi said.
Also Read: Gujarat ATS foils major terror plot: 3 suspects nabbed
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