By The Sampadak Express
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two fugitives linked to an ISIS sleeper cell module from Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, officials confirmed on Saturday.
The duo, identified as Abdullah Faiyaz Shaikh alias Diaperwala and Talha Khan, were intercepted by the Bureau of Immigration late Friday night upon their arrival from Jakarta, Indonesia, where they had been evading authorities.
Both individuals were wanted in connection with a 2023 case involving the fabrication and testing of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in Pune, Maharashtra. According to the NIA, they were part of a wider conspiracy by ISIS-linked operatives to launch terror attacks aimed at disturbing communal harmony and challenging the Indian state.
The accused had been on the run for over two years and were subjects of non-bailable warrants issued by the NIA Special Court in Mumbai. A cash reward of Rs 3 lakh each had also been announced for information leading to their arrest.
The case pertains to a 10-member ISIS sleeper cell operating out of Pune. Investigations revealed that the accused, along with others already in custody, had rented a house in Kondhwa, Pune, where they allegedly assembled IEDs and conducted a controlled explosion as part of a bomb-making and training workshop between 2022 and 2023.
The NIA has charged all 10 individuals under multiple provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Explosive Substances Act, Arms Act, and the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
In addition to Shaikh and Khan, the others arrested in the case include Mohammed Imran Khan, Mohammed Yunus Saki, Abdul Kadir Pathan, Simab Nasiruddin Kazi, Zulfikar Ali Barodawala, Shamil Nachan, Akif Nachan, and Shahnawaz Alam.
The NIA continues to probe the group’s activities as part of its broader efforts to counter the influence and operations of ISIS within India.
