Gujarat ATS uncovers ricin-making setup in Hyderabad linked to ISKP terror plot; 3 held

Dr Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed, Mohammad Suhail Mohammad Saleem Khan & Azad Suleman Sheikh were allegedly planning coordinated attacks: Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad

Published on: Nov 12, 2025, 19:16:05 IST

By Maulik Pathak

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Ahmedabad: Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has recovered raw materials and equipment used to prepare ricin chemical poison after raiding the Hyderabad residence of Dr Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed, who was arrested on Saturday along with two others for an alleged terror plot linked to the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP).

Investigators said the three surveyed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh office in Lucknow, Azadpur Mandi in Delhi, and Naroda fruit market in Ahmedabad. (Representative photo)

Saiyed (35), along with Mohammad Suhail Mohammad Saleem Khan (23) from Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh and Azad Suleman Sheikh (20) from Shamli in Uttar Pradesh, was allegedly planning coordinated attacks using firearms and ricin after conducting reconnaissance in Lucknow, Delhi, and Ahmedabad, an officer aware of the development said.

“We have seized around seven litres of chemicals used as precursors for ricin, along with machinery such as a crusher and blender, from his house in Hyderabad. The seized chemicals have been sent to a forensic laboratory to determine the ricin content. We have also traced the sources of procurement and further investigation is underway,” the officer said.

Ricin is a highly toxic protein extracted from castor bean waste that can be fatal if ingested, inhaled, or injected, and currently lacks a widely available or specific antidote.

Investigators said the three surveyed the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh office in Lucknow, Azadpur Mandi in Delhi, and Naroda fruit market in Ahmedabad after receiving instructions through Telegram from a handler known as Abu Khadija, believed to be based in Afghanistan and linked to ISKP. Khadija is wanted in the case.

Saiyed was detained near the Adalaj toll plaza on the Ahmedabad–Mehsana road on November 8 after police intercepted a silver Ford Figo and recovered two Glock pistols, one Beretta pistol, about 30 live cartridges, and nearly four litres of castor oil.

Officers said that a cache of weapons had earlier been collected from a deserted site near Kalol.

Saiyed, who holds an MBBS degree from China, was taken to the ATS office for questioning.

ATS officers said that Saiyed was in contact with several Pakistani nationals and had begun producing ricin, a lethal toxin made from castor bean waste. Information from his mobile phone led ATS to Suhail and Sheikh in Banaskantha the same day.

Police said that Suhail and Sheikh gave Saiyed a bag containing pistols and cartridges.

According to the ATS officers, the weapons were sourced from Hanumangarh in Rajasthan, and the accused told officers their handler sent arms using drones flown across the Pakistan border.

Police have filed a case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and the Arms Act.

Saiyed was produced before court and remanded to ATS custody until November 17. Investigation is continuing to trace others linked to the module.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Maulik Pathak
He is an Ahmedabad-based journalist with more than two decades of experience. His career spans business journalism and general news, with reporting across politics, crime, governance, public policy, business, industry, infrastructure, energy, ports, aviation, the environment, wildlife and social issues. He began his career in feature writing before moving into business journalism, reporting on companies and sectors including energy, infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, automobiles and real estate. Over the years, his work expanded to politics, courts, crime, public policy, civic affairs, the environment and wildlife. His reporting has taken him from government offices and courtrooms to factory floors, ports, forests and remote villages, covering stories that range from industrial investments and financial markets to elections, conservation and issues affecting everyday life. While many assignments demand the pace of the daily news cycle, others require sustained reporting over months and years to follow developments beyond the headlines. He started his journalism career with the Asian Age in Ahmedabad in 2002 as a feature writer and sub-editor. Since 2022, he has been working with Hindustan Times. Earlier, he worked with Business Standard, DNA, The Economic Times, Mint and The Times of India. His longest stint was with Mint, where he spent more than eight years reporting across multiple beats. During his career, he has worked in both reporting and editing roles, contributing to page planning, local editions and special editorial projects as newsrooms evolved from print-first operations to digital publishing. Early in his career, he also worked on media and documentary projects with an NGO and as a copywriter at a communications agency before returning to journalism. Away from work, he sometimes makes time for a pair of binoculars, table tennis, cinema and the occasional poem.Read More

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