Hyderabad
The Hyderabad police on Sunday arrested three persons who were allegedly planning to carry out terror attacks in the city at the behest of Inter-Service Intelligence (ISI) of Pakistan, officials said.
The arrested were identified as Abdul Zahed (40) from Moosarambagh, Mohd Sameeuddin (39) from Sayeedabad and Maaz Hasan Farooq (29) from Humayun Nagar. “The accused had conspired to cause terror acts including blasts and lone wolf attacks. The police had seized four hand grenades, ₹ 5 41,800 cash and a motorcycle from them,” Hyderabad police commissioner C V Anand said.
He said Zahed had received a consignment of four hand grenades and was going to carry out terror attacks in Hyderabad. “On specific information, the raids were conducted and three persons were arrested at Malakpet,” the commissioner said.
According to the preliminary information gathered by the police, Zahed was previously involved in several terror-related cases in Hyderabad including suicide attack on the Hyderabad City Police Commissioner’s task force office Begumpet in 2005.
He was in regular touch with three ISI-LeT handlers – Farhatullah Ghouri alias FG, Siddique Bin Osman alias Rafique alias Abu Hamzala and Abdul Majeed alias Chotu. These three ISI handlers, all natives of Hyderabad and wanted in several cases, are now settled in Pakistan and working under the aegis of ISI.
{{/usCountry}}He was in regular touch with three ISI-LeT handlers – Farhatullah Ghouri alias FG, Siddique Bin Osman alias Rafique alias Abu Hamzala and Abdul Majeed alias Chotu. These three ISI handlers, all natives of Hyderabad and wanted in several cases, are now settled in Pakistan and working under the aegis of ISI.
{{/usCountry}}“In past, they recruited local youth and radicalised them and got executed terror attacks such as blast near Sai Baba Temple, Dilsukhnagar in 2002, bus blast at Ghatkopar in Mumbai and Task Force office blast at Begumpet in 2005. They also attempted to cause blasts near Ganesh Temple Secunderabad in 2004,” he said.
In his confession, Zahed revealed that Farhatulla Ghori, Abu Hamzala and Majeed revived their contacts with him. “They motivated and financed Zahed to recruit and carry out terror attacks in Hyderabad again. At the behest of Pakistan-based handlers, Zahed recruited Samiuddin and Maaz Hasan,” the police commissioner said.
“All the three persons were produced before the court and are being sent to judicial remand,” Anand said.