Hyderabad doctor’s house searched by Gujarat ATS in terror conspiracy probe

The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), with Telangana police support, searched the Hyderabad home of Dr Ahmed Mohiuddin Sayeed, arrested last week along with two others for allegedly plotting terror activities. Police claim Mohiuddin was preparing ricin and had links to ISKP via Telegram.

Hyderabad: The Anti-Terrorism Squad of Gujarat police on Tuesday night conducted searches at the house of Ahmed Mohiuddin Sayeed, a doctor from Rajendranagar, who was arrested by the Gujarat ATS for allegedly conspiring to carry out subversive activities in the country.

The Gujarat ATS had last week arrested Dr. Mohiuddin, along with two others Azad Suleman Sheikh and Mohd Suhel Salim Khan, who hail from Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur and Shamli districts. Dr Mohiuddin, holds an MBBS degree from China.

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The ATS team, accompanied by Telangana police officers, came late on Tuesday night to the house of Mohiuddin and checked his room. Before seizing some machines, the police questioned the family members about the activities of Dr. Mohiuddin.

Before heading to Gujarat, Dr. Mohiuddin informed his family members that he was going out for business purposes. “My brother brought some material over a month ago and was preparing some liquid using a cold press machine. We have been told by the police that he was making ‘Ricin’, a poisonous substance,” Syed Farooq, brother of Mohiuddin, told media persons.

Mohiuddin left for Gujarat on November 6, Farooq said, adding that on November 9 the family received a call from the Gujarat police who informed them about his arrest and allowed him to talk over phone.

“Mohiuddin told me that some policemen stopped the car he was travelling in. After collecting the liquid from him, they kept a bag in the car saying it contained money and went away. A few metres away the police stopped the car and on checking the bag found a pistol and other articles,” he said.

The family maintained that they did not doubt the activities of Mohiuddin as he informed them he was doing some business.

“My brother told me that he had received a phone call offering the business of processing oil. The people told him that he would get huge money if he prepared the liquid. Believing them, he started sourcing the chemicals for preparing the liquid. I don’t think he was aware of the intentions of the people or the purpose of using the processed liquid,” said Farooq.

The police, however, alleged that Mohiuddin was in contact with a Telegram user named Abu Khadeja, believed to be associated with the Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP). He wanted to commit a terrorist activity that would cause massive harm.

The three-member gang had conducted reconnaissance in crowded areas of Lucknow, Delhi, and Ahmedabad, and their movements were also traced in Kashmir, the Gujarat ATS maintained.

The ATS seized two Glock pistols, one Beretta pistol, 30 live cartridges, and four liters of castor oil, a chemical used in the production of the deadly poison ‘Ricin’ from them.