Mumbai: In a significant breakthrough, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday arrested two absconding accused Abdul Fayaz Sheikh and Talha Liyakat Khan who were identified as key members of a sleeper module of the banned terrorist organization ISIS.
According to police, the accused are linked to a 2023 case involving the fabrication and testing of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) in Pune, Maharashtra.
They were declared proclaimed offenders and the Central agency had earlier announced a cash reward of ₹3 lakh each for information leading to their capture.
Acting on intelligence inputs, the Bureau of Immigration intercepted the accused at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (Terminal 2) when they arrived from Jakarta, Indonesia, where they were hiding. They were immediately taken into custody by the NIA team. They are expected to be produced before a special NIA court shortly.
According to investigators, the duo had meticulously planned their escape after the ISIS module operating out of Pune was busted in 2022.
That crackdown led to multiple arrests, including that of Shamil Nachan, son of convicted terrorist Saquib Nachan, who had been designated the Amir-e-Hind (chief of ISIS in India).
