ISIS sympathiser arrested for plotting bomb attack on Mumbai

Police interrogation of 21-year-old ISIS sympathiser Gazi Babba alias Muzalim, who was arrested last week from Sant Nagar in Jalandhar in a joint operation by the Uttar Pradesh anti-terrorism squad, Punjab Police and the Delhi Police special cell, revealed that he planned to carry out terror strikes in five cities across the country, including Mumbai and Lucknow.
Police sources claim that during his questioning on Tuesday by a team of Punjab Police and UP ATS, which lasted for three hours, he reportedly told them that they had planned to carry out terror strikes in five cities across the country, which included Mumbai, Lucknow, Ayodhya, Banaras and Mathura. He used to communicate with his handlers and others in code words over the phone, Whatsapp and Facebook so that their activities could not be detected by security agencies.

To carry out blasts in these cities Gazi told the police that he had devised a code word that he wanted to set-up bakeries in these five cities. The word bakery meant blast. He had coined another code ‘Ustad’, which meant the modus operandi to get explosive material. There were code words for carrying the material to the designated spot, how to assemble the bomb and then fit it.

During the interrogation Gazi reportedly told the police officials that he regularly told his counterparts on phone and on Facebook that he was trying to find ‘Karigars’, which means people who will assemble bombs and carry out blasts.

“After going through his Facebook chats it seems that he was trying to find ‘Karigars’ and ‘Ustad’,” said an official.

Sources claimed that Gazi told the police that he had selected a ‘Karigar’ from Bijnor in Uttar Pradesh and had one meeting with that person. The same person gave Gazi the list of all items which were be needed to assemble a bomb and with that list Gazi had retuned to Jalandhar.

“When he was arrested from Jalandhar he was scheduled to visit Bijnor after two days to get training on explosives,” said a police official.

Gazi originally from Unnad in UP and a tailor by profession had moved to Jalandhar three years ago in search of a job.

Police sources said that Gazi was in touch with around twelve people in Punjab, mostly Muslim youth, whom he was brainwashing to join the ISIS as to form a sleeper cell for the terror outfit in the State. He had checked their backgrounds and other activities to see if they were inclined to hardliners.

“We have the list of all twelve youth and now we are verifying it,” said an official.

Source: New Indian Express