10-06-2023 : The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) in Gujarat has successfully dismantled an Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP) module, resulting in the arrest of three men and a woman. The operations took place in Porbandar and Surat, and the individuals apprehended are originally from Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir. The Director General of Police, Vikas Sahay, confirmed the arrests and stated that the authorities discovered incriminating materials linking them to the banned terrorist organization. The four individuals have been charged under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), and efforts are underway to apprehend another wanted suspect related to the case.
The ISKP is a transnational Salafi-Jihadist organization that has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United Nations. According to Sahay, the three men had plans to utilize a fishing boat from Porbandar to cross the International Maritime Boundary Line and reach Afghanistan via Iran in order to join the ranks of ISKP.
The individuals detained in Porbandar were identified as Ubed Nasir Mir, Hanan Hayat Shol, and Mohammad Hajim Shah, all residents of Srinagar. During initial questioning, they disclosed that they had received training and radicalization from a handler named Abu Hamza. They further revealed that Zuber Ahmed Munshi from Srinagar and Sumerabanu Hanif Malek from Surat were also part of the ISKP module and associated with them.
Acting on the information provided, the Gujarat ATS and Surat crime branch conducted a raid at Sumera Malek’s residence in Surat. They seized several radical publications, including ‘Voice of Khorasan.’ Sumera admitted to being in contact with her handler and having a close relationship with Zuber.
The detained individuals in Porbandar were found in possession of personal identification documents, mobile phones, tablets, and sharp weapons used for digital communication. Accessing their cloud storage, the authorities discovered photographs of the suspects posing with the ISKP banner, videos of a leader administering the pledge of allegiance, audio clips of their leader, and other incriminating files.
The three individuals had been instructed by their handler, Abu Hamza, to reach Porbandar and join a fishing boat as fishermen. They were then to use the boat captain to navigate to specific GPS coordinates, subsequently traveling to Iran on a dhow. Fake passports for Afghanistan were to be provided, enabling them to reach Khorasan via Herat.
Efforts are ongoing to apprehend Zuber Ahmed Munshi, who is currently at large. Minister of State for Home, Harsh Sanghavi, commended the ATS and Surat crime branch for their successful operation, emphasizing the government’s commitment, under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, to a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism. Sanghavi expressed that the matter would be thoroughly investigated, acknowledging the significant achievement of the Gujarat police.