Maharashtra's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has thwarted a major terrorist attack allegedly planned by nine Islamic State (IS) sympathisers.
On the intervening night of Monday and Tuesday, a dozen ATS teams swooped down on eight different locations in Mumbra (Thane district) and Aurangabad, simultaneously and seized a 'significant' quantity of chemicals in liquid and powder form.
The agency says the group's plot was to target a public gathering; mix the chemicals in food or drinks to poison a large number of people to ensure mass casualties. The ATS is probing whether the intended gathering was Kumbh Mela.
Those arrested have been identified as Fahad Shah, Zamen Kutepadi, Mohammad Mazhar Shaikh, Sarfaraz Ahmed, Zahid Shaikh, Mushaheed Islam, a 17-year-old juvenile; and brothers Salman and Mohseen Khan, who are in the age group of 20 to 35 years.
Four persons, including the 17-year-old, were arrested from Almas Colony, Amrut Nagar and Moti Baugh areas of Mumbra, while the others were picked up from Kaisar Colony, Damadi Mahal and Rahat Colony areas ofAurangabad.
Eight of these were booked under sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967 and produced before a local court in Aurangabad on Wednesday. They were remanded to police custody. The teenager was produced before the Juvenile Board.
According to Additional Director General of Police (ATS) Atulchandra Kulkarni, the agency received a reliable tip-off about the group's activities and their sympathies with the international terrorist organisation. They placed the suspects under surveillance for several weeks and gathered information. When they felt the group was about to strike, ATS swooped in.
"Two of the suspects are chemical engineers, while one is a pharmacist," says an ATS officer. "Hence obtaining and mixing lethal chemicals was not difficult for them. The chemicals were found in experimental quantity and were marked as Hydrogen Peroxide. IS is known to use the chemical in its operations. Plans were being hatched in the Thane and the Aurangabad cells."
ATS refused to confirm whether Kumbh Mela in Uttar Pradesh was to be targeted, saying it was too premature to comment on this. "Our probe has just begun and we have also informed other agencies to gather more information about the accused," said an officer.