By A Correspondent

New Delhi: A coordinated counter-terrorism operation in recent weeks ahead of the Delhi’s Red Fort area bombing on Nov. 10, 2025, has led investigators to one of the largest terror-material hauls in recent memory.

The arrest of four doctors and the recovery of nearly 2,900 kg of explosive and flammable material, multiple automatic rifles and pistols, and evidence of plans to manufacture chemical agents, including an alleged ricin plot.

Authorities say the probe has peeled back a disturbing “white-collar terror” network embedded inside medical and academic circles and tied to banned outfits with handlers abroad.

Multi-State Terror Plot Investigation

Police launched the multi-state investigation after Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) posters were found in Srinagar’s Bunpora Nowgam area on Oct. 19, and intensified inquiries following a high-profile explosion near Delhi’s Red Fort that focused national attention on urban terror threats.

The probe was expanded across Jammu & Kashmir, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Gujarat, resulting in a string of arrests and seizures that authorities describe as a “major” breakthrough.

What is the Pulwama Link

The arrest of Dr. Muzamil Shakeel, aged 35 and a Pulwama-born medical professor who was teaching at Al-Falah University in Faridabad, on Oct. 30 proved pivotal.

Shakeel, who ran the university hospital’s emergency wing, was detained after being linked to the Srinagar posters. Searches of two rented rooms in Dhauj yielded 358 kg of suspected ammonium nitrate, a Krinkov assault rifle, a pistol, ammunition, bomb-making paraphernalia, and dozens of timers, batteries, and remote controls.

A subsequent raid in nearby Dehar Colony uncovered an additional 2,563 kg of explosive and flammable material, bringing the tally to nearly 2.9 tonnes.

Terrorist Hideout Raid Closer to Delhi

Faridabad police said the quantity and variety of material — from suitcases packed with suspected explosives to walkie-talkies and heavy-metal components — indicate preparations for large-scale attacks.

Seized firearms reportedly include an AK-56, a Krinkov, and multiple pistols, all with ammunition. “Joint teams of Haryana and J&K police have busted a major terrorist network,” Faridabad Police Commissioner Satender Kumar Gupta said, adding that financial trails and procurement links are being aggressively traced.

The operation widened as investigators detained several people allegedly connected to Shakeel, including religious scholars and university colleagues.

An AK-47 reportedly linked to Shakeel was found in the Swift Dzire of a woman doctor from the same university; while police say she may have unknowingly loaned her car, she remains under interrogation. Authorities are probing whether Al-Falah University laboratory facilities were being misused to synthesise advanced explosives such as RDX.

Multiple Arrests: A Worrying Sign

Separate but related arrests across states reveal a worrying pattern: four doctors detained in as many days who allegedly acted as nodes in a transnational terror module.

In Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, Adeel Majeed Rather, aged 27 and a resident doctor with prior postings in Anantnag, was arrested after CCTV and forensic leads tied him to weapon recoveries and fundraising trails.

Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) teams arrested Dr. Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed on Nov. 7, accusing him of attempting to manufacture ricin from castor oil and conducting reconnaissance at crowded markets and sensitive sites, including Delhi’s Azadpur Mandi.

Gujarat police said they seized Glock and Beretta pistols, 30 live cartridges, and four litres of castor oil; Saiyed is alleged to have been in contact with ISKP handlers abroad.

Anti-Terror Charges on the Arrested

Investigators have invoked sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Explosive Substances Act, and the Arms Act in multiple FIRs filed at Nowgam and other police stations.

Jammu & Kashmir officials described the dismantled network as inter-state and transnational, with links to banned outfits such as JeM and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind and handlers reportedly operating from Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Security agencies say the probe now focuses on mapping financial flows, supply chains, and digital communications used by the suspected module, including encrypted channels and purported charitable fronts.

With searches continuing across Srinagar, Anantnag, Ganderbal, Shopian, Faridabad, and Saharanpur, officials warned more arrests are likely as joint teams follow up lead after lead.

As national attention remains fixed on the Red Fort blast and its aftermath, the scale of the material seized and the involvement of professionals have sharpened concerns about radicalisation inside trusted institutions, and underscored the evolving, cross-border nature of contemporary terror threats.

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