Police pace up terrorism probe suspecting 'foreign hand'

Mumbai, May 15 (UNI) Having made three seizures of arms, ammunition and explosives and arrested 11 terrorists and their accomplices in a week after busting a terrorist module in Aurangabad on May 9, the anti-terrorist squad (ATS) of city police has intensified investigation to piece together the emerging contours of a diabolic terrorist plot which Maharashtra police chief today said could have been hatched by a ''foreign power''.

The ATS now is frantically scouting for one Jamiruddin Ansari of Beed who, they believe, could help them to know those behind the conspiracy.

''We are indeed looking for Ansari,'' Director General of police P S Pasricha told the media here today, indicating he could provide clues to the involvement of a ''foreign power''.

Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Kishan Shengin confirmed that hunt was underway to catch Ansari. Police sources said Mr Gawde, another ACP, is heading a team of ATS sleuths on Ansari's trail.

The third seizure of a large cache of weapons and explosives by the ATS, in a joint operation with the Nashik police last night, yielded 13 Kgs of RDX, five AK-47 rifles, and 1,000 rounds of ammunition along with 20 magazines during a raid at an electrical shop at Malegaon.

Besides arresting electrician Abdullah Gani, police have also detained a homeopath, Dr Sharief Ansari alias Motiwale, on the charge of hiding the arsenal in Abdullah's shop, police sources said in Nashik.

The electrician and homeopath are being interrogated.

Earlier on Saturday, the ATS arrested five suspects whose interrogation led to Abdullah's arrest which in turn led them to Dr Ansari.

Three terrorists, including an activist of the banned Student Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), were arrested in Aurangabad on May 9 and a huge arsenal of ten Kalashnikov rifles along with 2,000 rounds of ammunition and 30 kgs of the deadly RDX explosive were recovered from them when they were intercepted in a jeep after a hot chase by the ATS sleuths.

The second seizure from Ankari fort in Nashik on Saturday yielded 50 hand grenades, one AK-47 rifle along with 206 bullets.

The ATS has so far seized 16 Kalashnikov rifles along with 3,202 rounds of ammunition, 43 kgs RDX and 50 hand grenades.

Those arrested so far are Mohammed Amir, Syed Zuber and Mohammed Jamil Ahmed, all from Aurangabad, Abdul Azim, Mushtaq Ahmed, Mohammed Ishaq, Javed Ahmed, Afzal Khan and Riyaz Ahmed, Abdullah Gani and Mohammed Sharif.

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