Delhi Police arrests three suspected Islamic State operatives wanted by NIA
One of those arrested was identified as Shahnawaz alias Shafi Uzzama, who had escaped from police custody in July.
The Delhi Police Special Cell on Monday arrested three suspected Islamic State terrorists wanted by the National Investigation Agency, ANI reported.
One of those arrested was identified as Shahnawaz alias Shafi Uzzama. Last month, the National Investigation Agency had announced a reward of Rs 3 lakh on him.
All three accused persons have been sent to police custody for seven days.
“We have recovered illegal arms and chemical substances from Shahnawaz,” The Indian Express quoted a senior police official as saying. “He had been active for the last three to four years and was in an advanced stage of planning a bomb attack in the northern states of the country.”
An engineer by profession, Shahnawaz was arrested in Maharashtra’s Pune on July 18 along with two others – Mohammed Yusuf Khan and Mohammed Yunus Mohammed Yakub Saki. They were held while allegedly attempting to steal a two-wheeler.
Shahnawaz escaped from a police vehicle while they were being taken for a search to their house in Pune’s Kondhwa area.
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad took over the investigation from the Pune Police on July 22.
The ATS also seized some acid and other chemicals that were used to make bombs from Bopatghat near Kondhwa, reported Hindustan Times.
On August 8, the case was transferred to the NIA, which alleged that the accused were conducting “bomb workshops” in Pune. The agency said that they prepared a demo improvised explosive device and conducted a “controlled explosion” at Kondhwa.