Gujarat ATS arrests three 'radicalised youths' suspected to be part of terror organisation

The trio have been identified as Aman, Abdul Shakoor and Saif Nawaz. They were working here as labourers in gold polishing units.

The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) on Tuesday arrested three persons from Rajkot suspected to be part of a terrorist organization and were planning "anti-national activities."

ATS officials said that they were investigating if the trio was planning to commit any criminal activity as a semi-automatic pistol and ammunition have been recovered from their possession.

Deputy Inspector General of Police, ATS, Deepan Bhadran confirmed to DH that three persons have been apprehended from Rajkot. He said the three suspects are from the Hoogly and Bardhaman districts of West Bengal.

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The trio have been identified as Aman Malik, Abdul Shakoor Ali and Saif Nawaz. They were working here as labourers in gold polishing units.

The ATS is reported to have seized five mobile phones from their possession which, the squad claimed, have several messaging applications allegedly containing provocative videos, photographs, arms training videos, among other potentially incriminatory material.

The ATS also said it had information that the suspects were allegedly associated with terrorist organisation-Al Qaeda and were trying to encourage others in Rajkot to join them. The trio have been booked under Section 121 A (punishment for waging war against the nation), 120B (criminal conspiracy), the Arms Act, among other charges.

Police said that the suspects are "highly radicalised" and were in touch with radicals and extremists in the country and abroad. They were allegedly in contact with some other individuals who have been arrested in the country in terror-related cases.

"The suspects were also in touch with foreign handlers. They had acquired a pistol and ten rounds of ammunition. We suspect that they were planning to commit some terror-related activity," ATS officials said.

Earlier in June, the ATS had arrested four persons, including a woman who were allegedly planning to leave the country to join Islamic State affiliate Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP). The four were said to be acting on the directions of a foreign handler.

Those arrested had been identified as Ubed Nasir Mir, Hanan Hayat Shaul, Mohammed Hazim Shah, all residents of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir and Sumaira Banu Malek, a resident of Surat. ATS had said that they were radicalized by their handler, identified as Abu Hamza, who lured them to join the ISKP.

Further investigation of this case was transferred to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).