The Maharashtra ATS on Wednesday arrested nine individuals with suspected links to global terror outfit Islamic State. According to the ATS, the nine had formed a group called Ummat-E-Mohammadia and were plotting to carry out mass poisonings.
Thea authorities are investigating whether they intended to target the ongoing Kumbh Mela. The ATS has shared its findings with authorities and agencies associated with the Kumbh Mela 2019.
A chemical bottle labelled as Hydrogen Peroxide was seized from their possession and later sent for chemical analysis to figure out the chemical composition.
One of the arrested has been identified as Mazhar Malbari, son of underworld fugitive and D-Company shooter Rashid Malbari. Another suspect was believed to be in touch with ISIS handlers outside the country.
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has arrested nine people from Thane and Aurangabad for their alleged links with banned terror outfit ISIS, police said Wednesday.
The nine terror suspects, all part of a group, were nabbed by ATS teams over the last two days, an ATS official said.
The ATS, acting on specific inputs, kept a watch on the nine men for several weeks and gathered relevant information about them, he said. They were arrested when it came to light that they were likely to "swing into action", the official said.
The arrests followed searches in Amrut Nagar, Kausa, Moti Baug and Almas Colony areas in Thane's Mumbra township and in Aurangabad's Kaisar Colony, Rahat Colony and Damdi Mahal areas on Monday late night and Tuesday early morning.
During the searches, the ATS sleuths seized certain chemicals, acid bottles, sharp knives, mobile phones, hard disks and some SIM cards from the group, the official said.
The accused have been booked under Indian Penal Code's Section 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy) and relevant provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Bombay Police Act, the official said.
With inputs from PTI
