BackSuspected ISIS terrorist Shahnawaz, most wanted in NIA list, arrested by Delhi Police
Delhi Police arrests suspected terrorist Shahnawaz, listed as most wanted by NIA. Shahnawaz, who had a reward of ₹3 lakhs on his head, was sought after in relation to the Pune ISIS case.
PremiumDelhi Police has arrested a suspected terrorist named Shahnawaz, who was listed as one of the most wanted individuals by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
As reported by PTI, an engineer by profession, Shahnawaz was arrested by the Delhi Police's Special Cell and is currently being interrogated, officials said.
Shahnawaz, who had a reward of ₹3 lakhs on his head, was sought after in relation to the Pune ISIS case. This apprehension marks a significant breakthrough in ongoing efforts to combat terrorism and maintain security in the region, said Delhi Police.
As reported by ANI citing the Delhi Police Special Cell, the module was planning to carry out terror incidents in North India, taking instructions from foreign-based handlers. Incriminating materials were recovered including materials suspected to be used for IED fabrication.
Also Read: Manipur News: NIA arrests two in transnational conspiracy by Myanmar and Bangladesh terror outfits
Further investigations will be conducted to gather additional information regarding Shahnawaz's involvement and potential connections to terrorist activities.
The individual in question, a 32-year-old engineer residing in Delhi, had managed to escape from police custody in Pune, triggering an extensive manhunt spanning across multiple states.
So far, three people including Shahnawaz alias Shafi Uzzama have been arrested by Delhi Police Special Cell.
Know about the Pune ISIS module case
Shahnawaz, along with two accomplices named Mohammad Imran Mohammad Yunus Khan and Mohammad Yunus Mohammad Yakub Saki, faced arrest by the Kothrud police in Pune on July 18 after attempting to steal a two-wheeler. While the police were en route to their residence in Kondhwa, Pune, for a search, Shahnawaz made a daring escape by leaping out of the police vehicle.
Police uncovered that Khan and Saki, who originally hailed from Ratlam in Madhya Pradesh, were purportedly implicated in a distinct terrorism case registered in Rajasthan. In this case, explosives were found inside a car back in March 2022. Both Khan and Saki had a reward of ₹5 lakh each offered for information leading to their capture.
On July 22, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) assumed control of the investigation. As part of their probe, the ATS detained more individuals, including an IT engineer named Qadir Dastagir Pathan and SN Kazi in Kondhwa. The agency applied sections of the strict Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against Khan, Saki, and the other individuals implicated in the case.
The course of the investigation took a significant twist when Khan and Saki disclosed that Shahnawaz had stored acid in the vicinity of Bopatghat near Kondhwa. To secure the acid and various chemicals employed in the creation of explosives, the NIA enlisted the help of the Bomb Disposal and Detection Squad.
In addition, the ATS seized various other materials and discovered 500 gigabytes of data on the laptops and mobile phones of the suspects. This data included connections to instructional videos on bomb-making available on YouTube, as well as Google images of different locations.
(With inputs from agencies)
Milestone Alert!Livemint tops charts as the fastest growing news website in the world 🌏 Click here to know more.
