Another terror module likely to be unravelled
Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Nov 10: Three doctors are among 8 persons arrested and 2,900 kg of explosives seized as police uncovered a “white collar” terror module involving the Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind and spanning Kashmir, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Srinagar, Dr. G.V. Sundeep Chakravarthy led the team to unravel the Pan-India terror network that was planning to carry out major strikes across the country. The Jammu and Kashmir Police, police from Uttar Pradesh and Haryana as well as Central agencies were also part of the operation.
An official said that J&K Police were working on this module for the last few months. He said another terror module is likely to be unravelled by tonight as operations are still on with major focus on UP.
He said that the two major consignments recovered were 2568 and 358 kilograms and they were likely to be used to make IEDs as the module was planning to do something big across the country. He said that the doctors were intentionally used as cover up by the module.
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Among those arrested following a 15-day operation were Kashmiri medico Dr Muzammil Ganaie who was nabbed in Faridabad and Dr Shaheen from Lucknow from whose car an AK-47 rifle was recovered. Both the doctors were brought by air to Srinagar for custodial interrogation.
The official said that security agencies by busting the module have successfully thwarted the destructive designs of both the terror groups, the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind (AGuH), an offshoot of the ISIS in India.
“The 2,900 kg of explosive material includes ammonium nitrate, potassium nitrate and sulphur. Of this, 360 kg of inflammable material suspected to be ammonium nitrate and some arms and ammunition were recovered from Ganaie rented accommodation in Faridabad”, a statement issued by police said.
“The recoveries from various places include a Chinese Star pistol with ammunition, a Beretta pistol with ammunition, an AK 56 rifle with ammunition, an AK Krinkov rifle with ammunition as well as explosives, chemicals, reagents, inflammable material, electronic circuits, batteries, wires, remote control, timers and metal sheets,” it said.
Ganaie, a teacher at the Al Falah University in the Haryana town abutting New Delhi, was arrested after the Jammu and Kashmir Police named him as a wanted person in a case involving putting up posters supporting the Jaish-e-Mohammed in Srinagar.
Of the eight arrested, seven are from Kashmir – Arif Nisar Dar alias Sahil, Yasir-ul-Ashraf, and Maqsood Ahmad Dar alias Shahid from Nowgam in Srinagar; Maulvi Irfan Ahmad from Shopian; Zameer Ahmad Ahanger alias Mutlasha from Wakura area of Ganderbal; Dr Muzammil Ahmad Ganaie alias Musaib from Koil area of Pulwama, and Dr Adeel from Wanpora area of Kulgam. Dr Shaheen is based in Lucknow.
The official said that several Pakistani numbers were found on the phones of Ganaie and Adeel. “They could be the possible handlers of the network.”
The police spokesman said that on October 19, multiple JeM posters were found pasted at different locations in Bunpora Nowgam area of the city here, threatening and intimidating police and security forces. He said that was the starting point of the investigation, leading to the unravelling of the inter-state terror network.
“The investigation revealed a white collar terror ecosystem, involving radicalised professionals and students in contact with foreign handlers, operating from Pakistan and other countries,” the statement of the Jammu and Kashmir Police added.
It said the group has been using encrypted channels for indoctrination, coordination, fund movement and logistics.
“Funds were raised through professional and academic networks, under the guise of social/charitable causes. The accused were found involved in identifying persons, to radicalise, initiate and recruit them to terrorist ranks, besides raising funds, arranging logistics, procurement of arms/ammunition and material for preparing IEDs,” it said.
According to the Jammu and Kashmir Police, the sophisticated terror module allegedly used professional and academic networks as a front, collecting funds under the false pretense of supporting social and charitable causes.
“The accused were allegedly involved in a wide range of illegal activities, including the crucial process of identifying, radicalising, and recruiting new members for terrorist organizations. Their role also involved managing logistics, collecting funds, and securing weapons and materials for IEDs,” it said.
“Financial investigation, regarding the flow of funds, is on and all linkages are being traced and addressed expeditiously, the statement said.
In the meantime, briefing reporters in Faridabad today, Commissioner of Police Satender Kumar Gupta said raids were conducted at Ganaie’s premises on Sunday.
“Explosives, other material that can be used in terror activities, were also seized from his room. This included 20 timers, four timers with batteries, 5 kg of heavy metal, a walkie talkie set, batteries, an assault rifle with three magazines and 83 live rounds, one pistol with eight live rounds, two empty cartridges and two additional magazines.”
Asked where the accused were intending to carry out the terror act, Gupta said, “The investigations are on.” “Keeping in view national security, there are many details about this module and it is not appropriate to share these at the moment,” he said.
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