ATS: Terror suspect trained to carry out lone-wolf attack

Mumbai: The alleged Pakistan-trained terror suspect arrested recently by the Maharashtra ATS with the help of Kolkata police’ Special Task Force, was trained to carry out an attack as a suicide bomber by his Pakistani handlers, sources revealed.

The accused, Faizan Hasan Mirza (32), underwent extensive training in the use of arms, making bombs and carrying out a lone-wolf attack in India. Mirza underwent a two-week-long training programme under the patronage of terror outfits controlled by Pakistani intelligence and establishments, sources claimed.

An ATS officer said, “In a smart move to camouflage his Pakistan visit, the accused was booked on a flight to Nairobi and asked to extricate himself from the rest of the journey during the aircraft’s halt at Karachi in Pakistan. This shows that the accused had support from Pakistani agencies as entering the country would not have been possible otherwise.”

According to ATS officials, Mirza was in touch with fugitive gangster Chhota Shakeel’s alleged aide, Farooq Devadiwala, who is his relative. Devadiwala was Mirza’s handler and the latter was awaiting orders from Devadiwala when apprehended, sources revealed.  

Mirza was used by the underworld-terror outfit nexus to allegedly recruit locals to be taken to Pakistan for terror training.

The accused was used to target prominent personalities and places in India. Going by preliminary investigation, the terror network had trained its guns on Mumbai, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh.

ATS officials said that they had got a few more names of those in touch with Mirza, and their whereabouts were being found. The officials said that Mirza lied about losing his passport the first time around. The passport was later recovered from his in-law’s residence.