Two ISI men arrested in Hyderabad

By Our Staff Reporter

HYDERABAD, AUG. 29. Two ISI operatives, who were allegedly planning to cause some explosions in the twin cities as well as in Ayodhya in Uttar Pradesh, have been arrested by the city task force personnel. They were arrested while they were going on a scooter near the Sarojini Devi Eye Hospital at Mehdipatnam on Tuesday.

At a press conference here on Wednesday, the Director-General of Police, Mr. H. J. Dora, and the Police Commissioner, Mr. P. Ramulu, said Abdul Aziz alias Ashrafi (34), of Langarhouz and Md. Nissar (29), of Kulsumpura, planned to disturb the communal amity here. A Belgium-made pistol, electrical detonators, Rs. 1 lakh in cash along with some foreign currency, ammunition, circuit boards, two fake passports, video cassettes of the Bosnia- Chechnya war and ``jehadi'' audio cassettes were seized from the two.

Pointing out the significance of the arrests, the DGP said a joint operation by the Counter Intelligence cell and the task force had ``relieved the city of a major menace during this festival season''.

Aziz, an active member of the local organisation Darsgah Jehad-o- Shahdat in the late 1980s was associated with communal elements such as the slain ISI agents Azam Ghori and Fasiuddin.

He fought in the Bosnian war in 1994 and was trained in handling AK-47s, assault rifles, rocket launchers, mortars, etc., and also in the preparation of anti-personnel mines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

In the early 1990s, he worked as an electrician in Saudi Arabia where he came in contact with a voluntary agency aiding ``jehadi'' volunteers. He went to Chechnya in 1996 and fought alongside the rebels led by Shamil Basayev. After his return, Aziz maintained contacts with a Pakistani national and resident agent of the Lashkar-e-Taiba. In 1998, he went to Saudi Arabia again where ISI agents gave him Rs. 9.5 lakhs to carry out sabotage activities in India.

The money was transferred through `hawala' and Aziz began indoctrinating Muslim youth here by showing them videos of the Bosnia war and other jehadi propaganda. The DGP said Aziz and Nissar - a former City Armed Reserve constable - were deported from Georgia's Tiblisi airport when they tried to go to Chechnya in 1999. Aziz was said to be training his associates in preparation of IEDs at Nissar's house.

Police were looking into the functioning of various local organisations and if they were found indulging in anti- national activities it would be brought to the notice of the Centre. However, the DGP said the department would be careful in making any arrests and would not want to harass innocent people. ``We will keep track of communal elements in all religions,'' he said. He also appreciated the cooperation being extended by the Intelligence Bureau. Investigation is on.

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