NIA chargesheets doctor, 2 others in ISIS-linked bioterror plot to carry out mass poisoning

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against three people, including a doctor, for their alleged involvement in an ISIS-linked conspiracy to carry out mass poisoning in public spaces using a biological toxin, an official statement issued on Tuesday said.

The accused -- Hyderabad-based Dr Syed Ahmed Mohiuddin and co-accused Azad and Mohammad Suhel from Uttar Pradesh -- have been chargesheeted before a special NIA court in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, it said.

Working under the guidance of their respective Islamic State-linked foreign-based handlers, the accused had operated in a coordinated manner to recruit vulnerable youth radicalised by the handlers to support jihad and spread terror through prohibited weapons and bioterrorism, said the NIA statement.

They had planned to use ricin, a highly toxic substance derived from castor seeds and classified under Schedule I of the Chemical Weapons Convention, to carry out the "nefarious agenda of ISIS", it said.

The case was originally registered by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) following the arrest of Dr Mohiuddin, an MBBS from China, after he was caught at a toll plaza carrying illegal weapons, a bottle containing four litres of castor oil, and other incriminatory articles in his car in November 2025.

Investigation by the ATS had led to the arrest of the other two accused the same day.

Azad and Suhel were found to have earlier picked up parcels of money and prohibited weapons from a dead-drop site in Hanumangarh, Rajasthan, and dropped them at a location in Chhatral, Gujarat, for Moinuddin to pick up, the probe agency said.

After taking over the investigation in January 2026, the NIA found that Moinuddin had been promised the position of ISIS "Amir" of South Asia by his handler. He had allegedly converted his Hyderabad residence into a clandestine laboratory for preparing ricin, the statement said.

The agency further said that Azad and Suhel had knowingly participated in the conspiracy. Their roles included maintaining communication with handlers, receiving and utilising proceeds of terror, conducting reconnaissance, and handling illegal arms and ammunition.

Suhel acted as a crucial link between the handler and other co-accused for recruitment, coordination, and handling of funds and weapons consignments. He also conducted reconnaissance, recorded Bay'ah (oath of allegiance) videos, and prepared ISIS flags, it said.