“Gujarat Doctor Arrested for Allegedly Preparing Ricin, Surveyed Food Markets”

Gujarat ATS Arrests Doctor Preparing Ricin, Surveyed Crowded Markets.

A doctor among three ISIS operatives arrested by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) was allegedly preparing ricin, a highly toxic chemical, and had surveyed crowded food markets in multiple cities, officials said on Monday.

The ATS identified the doctor as Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed, 35, from Hyderabad. Over the past six months, Saiyed reportedly conducted reconnaissance at Delhi’s Azadpur Mandi, Ahmedabad’s Naroda fruit market, and the RSS office in Lucknow, all chosen for their dense crowds and high footfall.

Saiyed, a medically trained MBBS graduate from China, was exploring ways to weaponise ricin, a protein extracted from castor seeds, for a potential terrorist attack. While ricin is lethal in large doses, criminal use is rare, and timely medical care can treat poisoning.

In an official statement, the ATS said:
“To execute a major terrorist attack, Saiyed had begun research, procured equipment and raw materials, and initiated the initial chemical processing needed to prepare ricin.”

Authorities are now examining seized materials and electronic evidence to trace chemical sources and determine whether any experimental preparation had begun.

The operation also led to the arrest of two other ISIS-linked operatives from Uttar Pradesh, Azad Suleman Sheikh and Mohammad Suhail Mohammad Saleem. Preliminary questioning suggests the trio was part of a broader network with sleeper cells across India.

The ATS said Saiyed was in contact with Abu Khadim, a member of Islamic State – Khorasan Province (ISKP), and had plans to collect funds and recruit accomplices as part of a larger terror conspiracy.