Hyderabad ricin terror plotter wanted to 'separate South India from rest of country'

Ahmedabad: Hyderabad resident Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed, 35, arrested by Gujarat ATS on charges of plotting a ricin terror strike allegedly wanted to "separate south India from the rest of the country." Saiyed, who studied medicine from China but reportedly could not pass MCI exam mandatory for practicing in India, has been quoted as saying in the FIR.

It mentions that Saiyed told his handler from Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) Abu Khadija from Afghanistan that he wanted "to separate south India from the rest of the country, for which he would need money and weapons."

Saiyed, according to sources in the ATS, was working as a medical consultant with a multinational firm at a salary of Rs 90,000 a month and was also involved in a food business. Earlier this month, he was arrested with two other suspects from Uttar Pradesh for plotting terror strike in the country.

The FIR, accessed by DH, states that about a year ago, videos were shared on Telegram group which showed "Muslim girls being raped, a boy and some elderly men being lynched by mobs, and other acts of oppression against the community." Saiyed is quoted in the FIR that after seeing those videos he sent a message in a Telegram group, which read, "All of you should unite and stop these non-believers (kafirs), and if you cannot stop them, then support me."

During this period, a person with a Pakistan number contacted him, claiming to have the means and offering him to join an organisation. He said that the person didn't call back but he continued "participating in various Telegram groups and personal chats where discussions and posts were shared about jihad and the oppression being done against Muslims."

"Later, through my personal Telegram account, I came in contact with a person named Abu Khadija (@abuqasim00). We talked about how non-believers in India were oppressing Muslims and killing them. We discussed why no one was taking any action. Later, he sent me videos, speeches, and books about jihad," the ATS has quoted Saiyed as saying in the FIR.

It further adds that Saiyed told Khadija that he lived in South India and "wanted to unite young Muslims to form a strong group."

"I also told him about my plan to separate South India from the rest of the country, for which I would need money and weapons," Saiyed is stated as saying.

Khadija allegedly promised Saiyed of providing funds to purchase weapons and "appointed him amir (commander) of South India." Saiyed's alleged handler promised him to send Rs 2 crore for "purchasing weapons fighting against the Indian government." Based on his instructions, Saiyed came to Ahmedabad and collected Rs 1 lakh and returned.

It was Khadija who told him about the plan to "poison people with ricin and instructed him to buy 10 kg castor seeds...." Saiyed is alleged to have followed the instructions and researched the process of creating "ricin poison" from castor. The ATS team seized about 4 kg of caster-bean mash and other materials from his home days after his arrest in Ahmedabad.

As per the FIR, following Khadija's instructions, Saiyed purchased the castor seeds, used a cold press machine to extract the oil, and mixed it with acetone. Later, he was instructed to go to Ahmedabad.

"He (Khadija) told me that we had to kill many people using this poison and create chaos and for that he would provide me with money and weapons. I searched on Google and ChatGPT about how to make ricin poison. I bought 10 kilos of castor seeds and used a cold press machine to crush them. I extracted the castor oil, mixed acetone with the leftover residue, and stored it in a drum. Later, on Abu Khadija’s instructions, I purchased two notes of 10 dollars and sent him their pictures. He then told me to go to Ahmedabad with the two notes, castor oil, a measuring container, an empty bag, and two bottles."

Saiyed left on November 5 in his Ford Figo car and checked into a hotel on November 7 near Lal Darwaja in Ahmedabad. On the same evening, Khadija sent him a location from where he was to find a bag. Saiyed reached the spot and collected it. Khadija instructed him to go back to the hotel directly but on his way back the police team arrested him near Adalaj Toll Plaza. Sources said that he was being watched by various security agencies.

ATS team found two Glock pistols, one Beretta pistol, 30 live cartridges, and approximately 4 litres of castor oil stored in a 10-litre plastic container from his car. The weapons, ATS said, were procured from Hanumangadh in Rajasthan, were smuggled from Pakistan on Rajasthan border using drones. The ATS team arrested Azad Suleman Sheikh and Mohammad Suhail Mohammad Saleem, from Banaskantha district, who had dropped the bag for Saiyed to collect. Sheikh and Saleem are UP residents and alleged to have been highly radicalised.

Meanwhile, on Tuesday, Saiyed was assaulted by three undertrials at Sabarmati Central Jail, where he is lodged, allegedly over his "anti-national" activities. ATS sources said that due to his extremist views Saiyed's family members including his doctor sister and brother-in-law distanced themselves. Saiyed's wife also left him barely couple of months after the marriage, sources said. Since then, he had been been living alone.