The National Investigation Agency (NIA) apprehended two absconding members of an ISIS sleeper cell at Mumbai’s International Airport Terminal 2 on Friday night, officials said on Saturday.
Abdullah Faiyaz Shaikh, also known as Diaperwala, and Talha Khan were intercepted by the Bureau of Immigration as they attempted to return to India from Jakarta, Indonesia, where they had been hiding, according to a statement issued by the NIA.
The duo were wanted in connection with a 2023 case involving the fabrication and testing of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Pune, Maharashtra. Both had been evading arrest for over two years and had non-bailable warrants issued by the NIA Special Court in Mumbai.
A cash reward of Rs 3 lakh each had been announced for information leading to their capture, the statement said.
The case centres on a criminal conspiracy involving the accused and eight other members of the ISIS sleeper cell in Pune, who have already been arrested and are in judicial custody.
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The group allegedly sought to disrupt India’s peace and communal harmony by waging war against the Government of India to further ISIS’s aim of establishing an Islamic state through terror and violence.
According to the NIA, Abdullah Faiyaz Shaikh had rented a house in Kondhwa, Pune, where the accused assembled IEDs. They also organised and participated in bomb-making and training workshops and conducted controlled explosions to test their devices between 2022 and 2023.
The NIA has been actively investigating ISIS activities in India to thwart its terror plans. All ten accused have been chargesheeted under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosive Substances Act, Arms Act, and the Indian Penal Code.
Alongside Abdullah Faiyaz Shaikh and Talha Khan, the other arrested individuals include Mohammed Imran Khan, Mohammed Yunus Saki, Abdul Kadir Pathan, Simab Nasiruddin Kazi, Zulfikar Ali Barodawala, Shamil Nachan, Akif Nachan, and Shahnawaz Alam, the agency added.
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