Two alleged ISI agents arrested

Police officials said that they received intelligence information on April 22 regarding a consignment of unauthorised weapons which was to be delivered to a contact in front of the Shahenshah restaurant near the Talkatora Stadium.

Mohammad Asghar reportedly reached the restaurant parking lot first at around 6.30 p.m. yesterday. He was carrying a green attache case. Raeesuddin arrived a few minutes later in a TSR. They then got into the same TSR and left the spot.

The police team intercepted the duo near the RML Hospital crossing. A search of the attache case reportedly led to the recovery of the pistols, magazines and live cartridges. The police claim that during interrogation, Asghar disclosed that he started a business of ball-bearings in 1990 as he did not earn enough as a farmer in Pakistan. From 1991 onwards, he began to visit India regularly in connection with his business.

It was around this time that he met Tariq, an arms dealer in Lahore, and Iqbal, a resident of Peshawar. These two are apparently well-known to Indian intelligence agencies as smugglers of narcotics, arms and ammunition. 8220;They have organised shipments of arms into India on various occasions,8221; said Senior Additional CP Intelligence S. Ramakrishnan. Both are also known to have connections with Dawood Ibrahim.

8220;The lure of easy money made Asghar agree to work for these persons,8221; added Ramakrishnan. Asghar reportedly arrived in India with valid travel documents via the Attari border and stayed at the Bashir guest house in the Jama Masjid area. He was told to wait for further instructions once he arrived in India.

On April 20, he was allegedly instructed by Iqbal to take charge of a consignment of arms and ammunition that would be sent to him and deliver it to Raeesuddin. He was told that the time and place of delivery would be specified later.

Raeesuddin reportedly told the police that he assisted his father in a hotel at Ballimaran in Delhi.

It was here that he met Saleem, a resident of Karachi, who stayed at the hotel. Raeesuddin was told by Saleem, who apparently knew Tariq and Iqbal, that he could earn some quick money if he worked for him. On April 20, Saleem called up Raeesuddin from Pakistan and told him to receive a consignment of arms and ammunition from Asghar. He was promised a large amount of money for doing this and told that further instructions on how to dispose of the weapons would be given to him later.

According to the police, Asghar told Raeesuddin, who met him at the guest house, that he would be contacted as soon as the fomer could take the delivery of weapons. Meanwhile, Asghar, allegedly acting under instructions from Iqbal, went to Ballimaran on April 22 where he was given Rs 1.5 lakh by a contact. He gave this amount to a person called Doctor8217; in exchange for an arms consignment. Thereafter, he met Raeesuddin at the Shahenshah restaurant.

A case under the Arms Act and Waging War against the State has been registered at the Mandir Marg police station. Metropolitan Magistrate Praveen Kumar has remanded both the accused to police custody till May 7.