ISIS Plans Deadly Ricin Chemical Attacks in India: Gujarat ATS Thwarts Terror Plot

Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyyad, the Hyderabad doctor suspected in the ricin terror attack plot.

New Delhi:

Intelligence sources revealed that an ISIS-operated terrorist module was planning chemical attacks throughout India using ricin, a highly toxic substance extracted during castor oil production, according to Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad officials who spoke with NDTV on Friday.

Gujarat ATS personnel last week apprehended three suspects, including Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyyad, a Hyderabad doctor with a degree from a Chinese university. During the arrests, authorities seized materials for ricin production, including three kilograms of castor pulp, five litres of acetone solvent, and a cold press machine used for oil extraction.

Officials disclosed to NDTV that surveillance footage captured Mohiyuddin exiting the Grand Ambience hotel in Ahmedabad on November 7, approximately one week before his arrest.

Investigators believe Mohiyuddin and other cell members, including Mohammad Suhail from Uttar Pradesh's Lakhimpur, were also handling weapons as part of their attack strategy. ISIS flags were discovered at Suhail's residence during the investigation.

Ricin presents a severe threat as it can cause death whether inhaled, injected, or ingested, making it an extremely versatile poison. Once extracted, it can be processed into powder, pellets, aerosolized forms, or dissolved in liquid.

Security agencies across India remain on heightened alert following a recent suicide bombing near Delhi's Red Fort, where a Hyundai i20 filled with ammonium nitrate fuel oil was detonated.

The explosion killed fifteen individuals, marking the deadliest terrorist attack on the capital since 2008, when bomb blasts at three busy marketplaces claimed sixty lives.

This Red Fort incident represents Delhi's first vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) attack.

Most perpetrators involved in the Red Fort attack were doctors working at Al-Falah Hospital in Faridabad, with connections to Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed, which recent intelligence indicates has commenced fundraising for additional suicide attacks against India.

READ | Jaish Demands Rs 6,400 Donations For 'Fidayeen' Attack On India

Intelligence sources have also highlighted concerning potential advisory or operational connections between the Jaish module and Hamas groups in Gaza. Reports suggest terrorists posing as medical professionals may be utilizing hospital locker facilities to store weapons.

READ | Guns In Hospitals? Terrorists' Hamas-Like Plan A Major Red Flag: Sources

In the Red Fort attack investigation, authorities recovered an assault rifle from Dr. Adil Ahmad Rather's locker at the Government Medical College in Jammu and Kashmir's Anantnag. Another weapon was found in a Maruti Dzire registered to Dr. Shahin Saeed.