Gujarat ATS Arrests 5 More Suspected JeM Operatives; Probe Reveals Alleged Time Bomb Plot
The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has intensified its crackdown on an alleged terror network with the arrest of five more suspected operatives believed to be linked to Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). Investigators claim the latest arrests have uncovered evidence suggesting that one of the accused was allegedly preparing to assemble a time bomb before the operation was carried out.
The suspects were detained after investigators identified their alleged involvement during the interrogation of previously arrested members of the same network. Following their arrest, a court granted police custody, allowing investigators to further examine the group's activities, possible cross-border links and any wider security implications.
The five accused have been identified as Bilal Abidbhai Shera, Mohammad Ayub Kadiwala, Mohammad Palanpuri alias Khali Ayub Sunsara, Shafia Rais Mukhti and Mohammad Hasan Kardia. They were apprehended from Khadiyal village in Patan district's Siddhpur taluka during coordinated raids by the ATS.
According to officials, these arrests form the third phase of the investigation into an alleged sleeper cell operating under the name "Darul Islam Gujarat Jaish-e-Mohammed." With the latest action, the total number of arrests in the case has risen to 18.
Investigators are also examining the group's alleged financial links with handlers based in Pakistan. Officials suspect that funds were transferred to support the activities of the module and claim that members had allegedly been instructed to purchase a second-hand vehicle as part of their operations. These claims remain under investigation.
The ATS further alleged that one of the arrested individuals possessed technical knowledge of explosives and had moved close to assembling a functional time bomb. Acting on specific intelligence inputs, security agencies conducted the operation before the alleged device could be completed.
Officials told the court that members of the group were allegedly experimenting with improvised explosive devices (IEDs). Prosecutors claimed an earlier attempt to test a crude time bomb had failed, prompting investigators to intensify surveillance before making the latest arrests.
Search operations are continuing across multiple locations as security agencies attempt to recover suspected bomb-making materials, electronic evidence, technical documents and other items that could assist the investigation. Authorities are also examining literature allegedly linked to radicalisation as part of the ongoing probe.
The Gujarat ATS said the investigation remains active and additional arrests or recoveries cannot be ruled out as intelligence agencies continue to map the alleged network and verify its operational capabilities. No court has yet determined the guilt of the accused, and the investigation is ongoing.
