In a major breakthrough against cross-border terrorism, Gujarat Police’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has dismantled an Islamic State-backed cell plotting to unleash ricin—a lethal biological toxin—across key Indian cities. The operation, which unfolded over the weekend, led to the arrest of a Hyderabad-based doctor who allegedly orchestrated the scheme using smuggled weapons from Pakistan.
Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed, a 35-year-old MBBS graduate from China, emerged as the linchpin of the conspiracy. Authorities apprehended him on November 8 at the Adalaj toll plaza on the Ahmedabad-Mehsana highway, where he was traveling in a silver hatchback. A search of his vehicle uncovered two Glock pistols, one Beretta handgun, 30 live rounds of ammunition, and 4 kilograms of castor bean mash—the raw material for extracting ricin. This highly potent poison, derived from the residue left after castor oil production, has no antidote and can kill through ingestion, inhalation, or injection. Notably, the widely used castor oil itself poses no such risk.
Saiyed’s interrogation revealed his deep ties to global jihadist networks. Call data records traced his communications to Abu Khadija, an operative based in Afghanistan and affiliated with the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP). Under Khadija’s guidance, Saiyed had reportedly been manufacturing ricin in bulk, eyeing mass-casualty attacks via poisoning. He had also scouted high-security targets in Ahmedabad, Delhi, and Lucknow to assess vulnerabilities.
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The arms cache, investigators say, originated from Hanumangarh in Rajasthan but was ferried into India via drones launched from Pakistan—a tactic increasingly employed by smugglers, as evidenced by recent Punjab Police busts of similar networks. Saiyed’s suppliers were two young men from Uttar Pradesh: Azad Suleman Sheikh, a 20-year-old tailor from Shamli, and Mohammad Suhail Mohammad Saleem Khan, a 23-year-old student from Lakhimpur Kheri. Both were nabbed in Banaskantha district and confessed to procuring and delivering the firearms and bullets to the doctor.
The ATS, acting on intelligence about Saiyed’s suspicious movements in Ahmedabad, launched the sting under Deputy Superintendent of Police SL Chaudhary. An FIR has been filed at the ATS police station against the trio and the fugitive Khadija, invoking the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and the Arms Act. A local magistrate remanded Saiyed in ATS custody until November 17, while the other two await separate court appearances.
As probes deepen, authorities are racing to unmask additional conspirators in this drone-enabled plot, underscoring the evolving threats from Pakistan-sourced arms and homegrown radicalization. The arrests avert what could have been a devastating strike, highlighting the vigilance of India’s counter-terror apparatus.