MOST WANTED MILITANT SYED MOHD ZISHAN ALI OF AL-QAEDA INDIAN SUBCONTINENT (AQIS) ARRESTED

Special Cell, Delhi Police has arrested wanted terrorist Syed Mohd Zishan Ali aged- 29 years S/o Syed Raghebul Islam Haider r/o West Zakir Nagar, P.S. Azad Nagar, Jamshedpur Jharkhand on 09/08/2017 from IGI Airport, Delhi. He was wanted in FIR No. 67/2015 dated 14/12/2015 U/s 18/18B/20 Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act-2008 Police Station Special Cell, Delhi and had been declared a proclaimed offender (PO). This case is being investigated by a team of dedicated team of Inspector Kailash Singh Bisht, Inspector Ravinder Kumar Tyagi and Inspector Pramod Chauhan under the supervision of Shri Govind Sharma, ACP/Special Cell/NDR. Zeeshan’s real brother Syed Mohammad Arshiyan @ Haider and brother in law Sabeel Ahmed r/o Karnataka are also wanted in this case. His brother in law Sabeel Ahmed is real brother of Kafil Ahmad, who died in suicidal attack at Glasgow Airport, London in 2007 and Sabeel Ahmad was also arrested in this suicidal attack in UK.

During 2014-15, a video declaring the constitution of AQIS was posted by Al Qaida over its media arm Al-Shahab in September 2014, Indian security and intelligence agencies had initiated a sustained counter-intelligence operation to decipher the real structure, composition and objectives of this new Tanzeem. Since the anointment of one Maulana Asim Umar, an unidentified terrorist of Indian descent, as the Amir of AQIS was declared by none else than Ayman Al Zawahiri, the infamous chief of Al Qaida, it was imperative that Indian characters of this Tanzeem be quickly identified for initiating appropriate counter terrorist measures. The capabilities of Al Qaeda in orchestrating catastrophic terrorist strikes like the 9/11 attacks of United States Attack on Charlie Hebdo magazine in Paris in 2015, had sent the entire security establishment of the country in a purposive, concerted hunt to nip any such attempt by the members of AQIS in the bud.

After long and intense periods of deploying human sources in the vulnerable pockets of Islamic radicalization led to the zeroing in on certain suspects based out of Western UP. The deployed sources had reported intriguing movements out of India towards West Asian countries. Attempts were made to carry out a thorough check of their activities abroad but all efforts led to one or the other stonewall. Selective penetration by human sources was carried out in the suspected areas. The persistent efforts led to credible information being received about one  Mohd. Asif, reported to be a senior AQIS functionary, that he was expected to visit a contact in Delhi. Accordingly on 14th December 2015, accused Mohd Asif r/o Sambhal UP was arrested alongwith 3 mobile phones, a laptop and other incriminating articles. He revealed about his association with AQIS as being one of its founding members and being the Indian Head/Amir of its motivation, recruitment and training wing.

During further investigation, four more cadres of this outfit namely Abdur Rehman r/o Cuttack, Odisha, Abdul Sami r/o Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, Syed Anzar Shah r/o Bangalore, Karnataka and Jaffar Masood @ Guddu r/o Sambhal UP were arrested and lots of laptop, mobile phone, CDs, Pen drive etc. containing hatred speeches & jihadi literature etc. were recovered. The accused Abdur Rehman, Abdul Sami and Mohd Asif were found visiting Pakistan illegally via Saudi Arab/Iran. The accused Abdur Rehman was found visiting Pakistan illegally in February 2015. Abdur Rehman had met Zakiur-Rehman Lakhvi (LeT Chief & mastermind of year 2008 Mumbai shootout) in Bawahalpur Jail, Pakistan and Hafiz  Muhammad Saeed (Chief of Jamaat-ud-Dawa, JuD) and finalized the plan to open a terrorist organization like Jamaat-ud-Dawa in India to recruit more militants from India for terrorist activities.

Abdur Rehman also told that one Syed Mohd Zishan Ali is operating for AQIS from Saudi Arab alongwith his real brother Syed Mohammad Arshiyan @ Haider and brother in law Sabeel Ahmed. Accused Sabeel Ahmad is real brother of Kafil Ahmad, who died in 2007 suicidal attack at Glasgow airport, London, UK and he too was arrested in this suicidal attack in United Kingdom (UK).  

During investigation, efforts were made to apprehend Syed Mohd Zishan Ali and other cadres of AQIS namely Syed Akhtar @ Qasim, Sanaul Haq @ Maulana Asim Umar @ Sannu, Mohd. Sharjeel Akhtar, Usman @ Asad all r/o Sambhal UP, Mohd. Rehan, r/o Delhi, Abu Sufyan, Syed Mohammad Arshiyan @ Haider both r/o Jamshedpur Jharkhand, Sabeel Ahmed, Mohammed Shaheed Faisal both r/o Bangalore, Karnataka, Farhatullah Ghori and Mohd Umar @ Umar Hyderabadi both r/o Hyderabad, Telangana but all of them were evading arrest and they were declared proclaimed offenders.

On 09/08/2017, an information received that above mentioned Syed Mohd Zishan Ali alongwith about 30 people of UP, Kerala, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Rajasthan etc. has been deported from Jeddah, Saudi due to violation of Visa. Accordingly, he was apprehended from IGI Airport, Delhi.

The arrest of Syed Mohd Zishan Ali is a major achievement of security agencies working tirelessly to safeguard the nation against dreaded international terrorist organizations like Al Qaeda. His arrest and continuing interrogations are likely to provide crucial leads about his other associates and also about the infiltration and expanse of AQIS in India and the neighboring countries. The arrest is crucial for furthering anti-terror efforts against AQIS in India.