'Promoted By ISIS Elements, Have PAN India Footprint': Delhi Police On Arrest Of NIA's Most Wanted Shahnawaz

Special Commissioner of Police Delhi, HGS Dhaliwal said the NIA's most wanted Mohammad Shahnawaz was being supported and promoted by the elements of ISIS.

Mohammad Shahnawaz, National Investigation Agency’s most wanted and a terror suspect, who was arrested on Monday was being supported and promoted by the elements of terrorist organisation Islamic State, said the Delhi Police Special Commissioner HGS Dhaliwal. Shahnawaz was nabbed with two others, Mohammad Rizwan Ashraf and Arshad Warsi, who had pan India footprint, said Dhaliwal while speaking to news agency ANI. 

"Mohammad Shahnawaz, Mohammad Rizwan Ashraf & Arshad Warsi were arrested. All of them are engineers.T hey conducted a recce at various places in Western India, and Southern India,” said the top cop. 

“They were supported and promoted by ISIS elements. They have a PAN India footprint,” he added. 

Addressing a press conference earlier in the day, Dhaliwal said: "Special Cell for a long time has been keeping an eye on the Indian Mujahideen & ISIS kingpin...A lot of such modules have been busted. In this line of action, the Special Cell declared a reward last month against three people who were accused of having an involvement in various blast cases.”

“The main accused Shahnawaz was arrested with his two other partners this morning...Mohammad Rizwan another accused is absconding...They were presented in court and given seven days of police custody remand,” he added. 

Dhaliwal said raids were conducted at their hideouts where different equipment to make explosives were recovered along with pistols, cartridges, and various literature to make bombs. 

The Delhi Police on Monday arrested Shahnawaz alias Shafi Uzzama. The NIA had placed a reward of Rs 3 lakhs on the arrested terrorist Shahnawaz and he was wanted in the Pune ISIS case. The Delhi Police said that Shahnawaz, a resident of Delhi, had escaped from Pune police custody. 

All the three arrested accused have been sent to seven days of police remand, said the Delhi Police Special Cell. 

The police said the module was planning to carry out terror incidents in North India and was taking instructions from foreign-based handlers. Incriminating materials were recovered including materials suspected to be used for IED fabrication.