Ricin poison terror plot busted, Telangana ‘doctor’, 2 from UP arrested: Gujarat ATS

Three pistols, 30 live cartridges and nearly four itres of castor oil were seized from the possession of the accused, the ATS said.

The ATS identified the three arrested accused as Dr Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed, 35, a resident of Hyderabad, Telangana; Azad Suleman Sheikh, (20), a tailor from Shamli, Uttar Pradesh; and Mohammad Suhail Mohammad Saleem Khan, 23, a student and a resident of Lakhimpur Kheri, Uttar Pradesh.

Addressing a press conference here, ATS Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Sunil Joshi said, “Deputy SP S L Chaudhary received confidential information that a person named Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed from Hyderabad was involved in a conspiracy to carry out a terror attack in India and that he had arrived in Ahmedabad as part of executing the conspiracy.”

“A team under ATS SP K Siddharth, based on technical analysis, intercepted a car near Adalaj Toll Plaza on the Ahmedabad–Mehsana Road. Upon checking the vehicle driven by Saiyed, the team found two Glock pistols, one Beretta pistol, 30 live cartridges, and castor oil stored in a 10-litre plastic container,”the DIG said.

During questioning, Saiyed “revealed” that he was “actively involved in a plan to carry out a terrorist attack”, said Joshi.

“He had allegedly obtained the cache of weapons from a deserted location (dead drop) near Kalol (Gujarat). According to Saiyed, his handler is a person named Abu Khadija, a resident of Afghanistan and is associated with the ISKP (Islamic State Khorasan Province). Saiyed was in contact with several individuals from Pakistan,” the DIG said.

“Saiyed was preparing a highly lethal poison named ‘Ryzin’ (Ricin). For this, he began research, procured equipment, raw materials, and initiated the initial chemical processing required for its preparation. It was also found that this individual obtained an ‘MBBS degree’ from China,” Joshi added.

Based on the forensic examination of the digital devices seized from Saiyed’s possession, a team under DySPs K P Patel and V K Parmar apprehended two other persons – Sheikh and Saleem of Uttar Pradesh – who allegedly provided the bag containing pistols and cartridges to Saiyed and assisted in anti-national activities from Banaskantha (Gujarat), the ATS said.

“Both individuals were found to harbour extremist ideology. It was revealed that these two had obtained the cache of weapons from Hanumangarh, Rajasthan. During preliminary interrogation, it came to light that they conducted reconnaissance of several sensitive locations in Lucknow, Delhi, and Ahmedabad. When questioned about the source of the weapons, they disclosed that their handler sends the arms consignment via drone across the Pakistan border,” Joshi said.

On November 8, all three persons and the wanted accused, Abu Khadija, were booked under relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and the Arms Act.

Saiyed was produced before a court, which sent him to police custody till November 17. The Gujarat ATS said further investigation is underway to identify and apprehend more individuals involved in the “conspiracy.”

What is Ricin, ‘toxic’ substance listed under Schedule-1 of Chemical Weapons Convention

Ricin is extracted from Castor beans (Ricinus communis). Ricin is concentrated from the waste mash after extracting castor oil and is highly toxic to humans – even in minor doses. Treatment for ricin poisoning primarily involves supportive care, as there is no specific antidote.

According to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ricin is listed under Schedule-1 of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).

Although it is deadly when ingested and injected, Ricin absorption through skin is said to be poor and there are difficulties in large-scale effective dispersal mechanisms as the substance is reactive to heat and dilutes in water.

According to news reports, letters laced with the toxic powder were allegedly sent to two US Presidents — Barack Obama in 2013 and Donald Trump in 2020. However, these were reportedly found at the mail sorting stage.

Since the ATS investigators claimed that they have foiled a large-scale“terrorist attack bid with Ricin”, The Indian Express has reached out to the Gujarat ATS for details, but no response was received as of late evening on Sunday.