Delhi Police apprehended an Islamic State (IS) operative, wanted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), following an extensive search operation on Monday, related to the Pune ISIS module case. The arrested terrorist, known as Shahnawaz, was captured by Delhi Police’s Special Cell shortly after the NIA had announced a reward of Rs 3 lakh for his capture. Additionally, two other suspected terrorists, Arshad Warsi and Mohammad Rizwan, were also apprehended in subsequent actions.

The anti-terror agency conducted a massive search operation to apprehend three ISIS terrorists, one of whom was Shahnawaz Safiuzzama Alam, alias Abdullah, all linked to the ‘Pune ISIS module case.’ The other two terrorists were identified as Rizwan Abdul Haji Ali and Abdulla Faiyaz Shaikh.

Following Shahnawaz’s interrogation, it is anticipated that more suspected ISIS terrorists will be located, according to sources. Some individuals who had been in contact with Shahnawaz have also been taken into custody by the Special Cell.

Shahnawaz, an engineer by profession and a resident of Delhi, was initially arrested by Pune Police on July 18 for stealing a two-wheeler. After escaping from Pune police custody, Shahnawaz had been hiding in Delhi. Authorities discovered a chemical substance in Shahnawaz’s possession, which has been confiscated, an official stated.

Shahnawaz Alam ‘Key Player’ In Terror Plan

The NIA, in August, arrested one Shamil Saquib Nachan in the Pune ISIS module case and claimed it had seized incriminating material from his residence in Thane district. The material exposed his conspiracy and that of the other accused, including Shahnawaz, to spread terror and cause disruption in the country.

According to the agency, Nachan had been working with five other arrested accused, along with some other suspects, as part of a more extensive conspiracy to trigger violence across the country on a scale larger than the 26/11 attacks, by fabricating and setting off improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

The NIA had said the accused were all members of the ISIS sleeper module. During the preliminary probe, it was discovered that Nachan and the other accused had assembled IEDs in a house in Kondhwa, Pune, where they had also organized and participated in a bomb (IED) assembly and training workshop the previous year. Their objective was to wage a war against the Government of India in furtherance of the ISIS agenda to spread terror and violence with the goal of establishing an Islamic State in the country, the NIA had revealed.

Sources informed Smartkhabrinews that Shahanawaz Alam was the key player in the terror plan. “All old terror outfits that were almost dormant in terms of activities have been reactivated. They have executed their plans cleverly and remained elusive from the authorities. Fortunately, they were apprehended; otherwise, their plans could have been devastating,” the source said.