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Journalism of Courage
MUMBAI, February 2: According to Additional Commissioner of Police North-West Rakesh Maria, whose squad effected the raid, the trio had arrived in Mumbai to recruit cadres for the ISI. They had also planned to instigate cross-secterian voilence and perpetrate disruptive activities in the city, he said. The trio, ring leader Sayed Abbas Hussein Zaidi, Manan Hussein and Rashid Zaire, was arrested after the squad, who were expecting them, cordoned off the area adjoining Kandivli railway station at around 8.20 pm.
Police have recovered a loaded US Army Remington pistol, a Webly Scott pistol with six live cartridges and three Pakistani passports. They also have evidence of telephone calls made to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim8217;s brother Anees and an airline ticket.
While Zaidi arrived at New Delhi on November 2, 1998, his associates Hussein and Zaire sneaked into the country via the Wagah-Hatari outpost in Punjab on October 26 and November 23. In New Delhi, they were contacted by local agents, who provided them with weapons and Rs 1 lakh. Zaidi flew to Mumbai on December 4 on an Air-India flight using the alias Raju Patel.
8220;Once the trio arrived in Mumbai, they began scouting around for a place to set up base in the suburbs. Also, their visas had expired and they were in the process of assuming new identities,8221; Maria told Express Newsline
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Preliminary investigations indicate that all three men had received training in terrorist activities as well as collecting and analysing sensitive information. During interrogation, they said they were staying at Mayar Nagar at Mira Road and Kutchee Memon Colony at Malad before their arrest.
