Gujarat ATS foils Hyderabad doctor’s bio-terror plot disguised as business trip

Gujarat ATS uncovered a major bio-terror plot when it intercepted a 35-year-old doctor from Hyderabad, Dr Ahmed Saiyad. The doctor and two of his associates were caught with weapons and castor seeds in Banaskantha. They  were allegedly acting on the directions of Pakistan-based handlers, as per sources.

Seeking weapons for himself and two associates, Dr Ahmedabad had asked Pakistan-based Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP) operatives for protection. In response, three pistols and 30 cartridges were sent via drone near the Rajasthan border. Dr Ahmed, along with Azad and Suhail, was returning with the consignment when the ATS intervened.

Acting on a tip-off, the Gujarat ATS intercepted their vehicle and arrested all three with the weapons. However, the presence of a large quantity of castor seeds in the car raised suspicion. When questioned, the accused could not justify why someone from Hyderabad would transport castor seeds and oil all the way to Gujarat, a region known for its own castor production. 

Their inconsistent answers triggered a deeper probe, ultimately exposing a bio-terror conspiracy.

According to sources, Ahmed Saiyad, Azad Sheikh and Mohammed Salim Khan were working for ISKP and had been planning to manufacture ricin for a bio-terror strike in India. During a search at Dr Ahmed’s residence in Hyderabad, ATS teams found evidence of castor seeds being chemically processed to derive ricin poison.

The youngest of six siblings, Dr Ahmed had told his family he was travelling to Gujarat for business.

When officials noticed nearly four litres of castor oil in the car, they pressed the accused with pointed questions. Unable to justify the quantity, purpose and route, the trio broke down during interrogation and confessed to the bio-terror plan.

Investigations later revealed that Dr Ahmed had been in frequent contact over several months with Abu Khalija, a handler of ISKP.

Chat history recovered from their mobile phones, along with photographs, confirmed detailed instructions sent from Pakistan to prepare ricin by processing castor seeds into powder. Ricin, when inhaled, consumed or mixed in food, can trigger mass casualties.

This is not the first time ricin has come up in a terror plot. In June 2018, German authorities had foiled a similar attack, recovering castor seeds, 84 milligrams of ricin and bomb-making materials from an apartment.