The Central Crime Branch of the Bengaluru Police on Wednesday arrested five men for allegedly planning to carry out blasts in the city, reported The Hindu.

The suspects, identified as Syed Suhel, Umar, Janid, Mudasir and Zahid, were caught in the city’s Sultanpalya area in RT Nagar where they had gathered for a meeting.

Police Commissioner B Dayananda said that seven pistols, ammunition, walkie-talkies, and satellite phones were recovered from the accused, reported ANI.

“CCB [Central Crime Branch] has succeeded in tracking down the people who planned to commit acts of vandalism in Bengaluru city,” Dayananda said. “Five accused have been arrested...One of the accused who is absconding provided these weapons to those arrested to carry out certain subversive activities.”

According to the police, the accused were arrested in 2017 in a murder case. They were lodged in the city’s Parappana Agrahara Central Jail where they came in contact with Thadiyantavide Nasir, one of the prime accused in the 2008 Bengaluru serial blasts, The Indian Express reported.

“The accused were radicalised by Nasir,” Dayananda said. “They then hatched a conspiracy to carry out incidents that could affect law and order in the city.”

After coming out on bail, the accused began to gather arms, ammunition and explosive substances, he added.

Former Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai claimed that the arrests point towards a “conspiracy of serial blasts” in Bengaluru.

“CCB has done a good job, however, it is not enough,” the Bharatiya Janata Party leader said. “This has got a very deep conspiracy and we have to go behind that. I think it is a fit case to be handed over to NIA [National Investigation Agency].”