The arrested accused was the handler of a Pune-based recruiter, who was apprehended earlier, and had direct touch with LeT operatives in Pakistan
The accused was arrested on Thursday and is being brought to Maharashtra on transit remand. Representation pic
The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of Maharashtra police arrested a Laskkar-E-Taiba (LeT) operative from Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday. The accused, Aftab Hussain Shah, 28, was in direct contact with his handlers in Pakistan and was planning to carry out different terror activities across India.
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The Maharashtra ATS earlier arrested Junaid Mohammed from Pune who was recruiting people through social media on the instructions of Shah. The ATS has found five different Facebook accounts which Junaid has used to recruit people to carry out terror activity and recce different sensitive locations including defence establishments. “During the probe we found that his handlers are in J&K, accordingly our team was deployed last month. The team worked for almost a week and with the help of local police successfully nabbed a handler,” a senior officer said.
“Since the last few days, three teams of Maharashtra ATS were conducting searches and making enquiries at various places in Kargil, Ganderbal, Srinagar areas in coordination with local police. On Wednesday evening, a well-armed team reached Kishtwar, 211 km from Srinagar, and apprehended Aftab Hussain Shah,” ATS said in a statement.
Shah was produced before the competent court there and was handed over to Maharashtra ATS on transit remand for 3 days. Upon his arrival in the state, he will be produced before the court for police custody. “Shah was born and brought up in Kishtwar. He is a carpenter by profession and owns land in Kishtwar. He is accused of being the link between Junaid Mohammed and an LeT operative based in a foreign country,” the ATS statement added.
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