A 32-year-old alleged trained suicide bomber, who recently arrived after taking arms and ammunition training from Pakistan and has links with the Dawood gang, was arrested by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad with the help of Delhi and Kolkata police, from Borivali on Friday.
The Delhi police informed the ATS after they received a tip-off about the suspect from their Kolkata counterparts. According to Maharashtra ATS, Jogeshwari resident Faisal Hasan Mirza was working as a freelance technician and had gone to Pakistan recently to receive terror-related training.
"He had been instructed by Dawood Ibrahim's close confidante Chhota Shakeel to carry out terror attacks in the country and top politicians were in his hit list," said a Delhi Special Cell police officer.
The police said Mirza was continuously in touch with Shakeel and his associates who were earlier involved in criminal cases in Mumbai. Mirza was recently called by his handlers to Sharjah in the United Arab Emirates where he stayed for several days. Subsequently, he was later sent to Karachi in Pakistan via Dubai where he allegedly underwent arms and ammunition training for few weeks at a terrorist outfit's camp organised by Pakistan's Inter-Service Intelligence.
Officers said Mirza was trained at ISI camps for carrying out attacks in several places in India and also the assassination of influential personalities. Few crowded places and government establishments in Mumbai were on his hit list.
At the training camp, Mirza was trained in handling weapons, bomb-making, and how to carry out fidayeen or suicide attacks. after completion of training, Mirza went to Dubai and then flew back to Mumbai. Even in Mumbai, he was in touch with his handlers in Pakistan via social media and other communication modes.
The arrested suspect has been booked under sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. We have also got information about accomplices of Mirza and inquiring with them. There are possibilities of more arrests in the case," said a Maharashtra ATS officer.
"Several agencies are grilling Mirza and we have got important leads about the hit plan and some subsequent plans of explosions in India. We are expecting a few more breakthroughs," revealed an IB officer.
