Shabir Ahmed Lone behind 8 arrested linked to Bangladesh terror module

New Delhi [India], February 23 (ANI): Delhi Police has arrested 8 suspects in connection with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), with the investigation revealing that the module was working with Shabir Ahmed Lone, who previously served a decade in jail for terrorism, released on bail in 2019, subsequently fleeing to Bangladesh, sources said.
Shabir Ahmed Lone was in direct touch with proscribed terror organisation top commanders Hafeez Saeed and Zaki-ur- Rahman Lakhvi, who are the masterminds of 26/11.
The Delhi Police is currently in the process of questioning the eight men arrested about whether they were planning to carry out an attack on the temple or in an area with heavy footfall.
Sources reported Lone has been given the task of recruiting and radicalising Bangladeshis who are illegally staying in India. He had managed to wean the eight arrested to the LeT ideology by brainwashing them.
Lone was on look out of illegal Bangladeshi immigrants and, through touts, provided them with fake identity proofs like Aadhar cards. The accused were provided with weapons to carry out an attack, sources said.
Earlier, security agencies issued an Intel alert regarding a possible improvised explosive device (IED) attack on a temple near the Red Fort and other high-footfall areas.
Delhi Police sources also revealed that the handler of the recently busted Bangladeshi terror module maintained regular contact with operatives through the encrypted messaging platform Signal.
According to sources, the Anti-India posters that surfaced in Delhi and Kolkata were printed in Kolkata after the poster PDF was sent from Bangladesh by the handler, identified as Shabbir.
Investigators said the Lashkar-linked module had set up a base in Kolkata on Shabbir's instructions and had rented a house on the outskirts of the city for around Rs 8,000 per month.
The arrested were posting content on social media in support of Pakistan-based terrorist organisations. Two accused were arrested from Uthukuli, three from Palladam, and one from the Thirumuruganpoondi area. They were working in the garment industry by concealing their identities using fake Aadhaar cards.
Eight mobile phones and 16 SIM cards were recovered during the operation. All accused are being brought to Delhi by train; the investigation is ongoing. These accused, suspected of aiding terrorists, conducted a recce of several cities. Posters of "Free Kashmir" were put up in Delhi.
Two more arrests were made from West Bengal. Delhi Police are in the process of bringing all the suspects from Tamil Nadu to the national capital for further investigation. Upon searching, the police found and seized dozens of mobile phones and SIM cards from the suspects.
This comes in the backdrop of the recent deadly car explosion near the historic Red Fort in Delhi on November 10, 2025, which killed 12 people.
The blast, caused by a car loaded with explosives near Gate No. 1 of the Red Fort Metro Station, triggered fires in multiple nearby vehicles.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) sought a 90-day extension to complete the investigation. Meanwhile, the NIA court has extended the judicial custody of 7 accused till March 13. (ANI)