In a major counter-terror operation, two individuals linked to a sleeper cell of the Islamic State were apprehended at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport. Authorities intercepted the suspects upon their arrival from Indonesia, where they had been in hiding for over two years.
Identified as Abdullah Faiyaz Shaikh (also known by the alias “Diaperwala”) and Talha Khan, the duo were wanted in connection with a 2023 case involving the fabrication and testing of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Pune.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had issued non-bailable warrants and had placed a reward of ₹3 lakh each for credible information leading to their capture. The arrests put a halt to an ongoing probe into a terror cell that was reportedly planning violent acts intended to disrupt communal harmony and wage psychological warfare in India.
During the 2022–2023 period, the suspects participated in bomb-making workshops and carried out controlled IED detonations in Pune’s outskirts. They were part of a broader module that included eight others already in judicial custody.
Following their arrest, both men were presented before a special NIA court in Mumbai and remanded into agency custody for further interrogation. They face charges under anti-terror laws including the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Explosive Substances Act, Arms Act, and relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.
This crackdown is being hailed as a significant disruption to ISIS’s efforts to establish operational networks within India. Authorities are doubling down on surveillance and intelligence efforts to identify and dismantle any remaining sleeper cells.
