In a swift operation that averted potential bloodshed, Gujarat’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) dismantled a dangerous terror conspiracy on Tuesday. The dramatic arrest unfolded in Navsari district, where authorities nabbed 22-year-old Faizan Sheikh, a tailor from Rampur, Uttar Pradesh, who had been living in the Jarkvada area for four years.
Acting on credible intelligence about planned violent attacks, the ATS teamed up with local police to swoop in on the suspect. Investigations revealed Sheikh’s deep involvement in jihadist and separatist ideologies, with plans to target and assassinate select individuals to spread fear across the region.
Digital forensics played a pivotal role, uncovering a suspicious Instagram account operated by Sheikh. His mobile phone yielded a trove of extremist propaganda supporting banned outfits like Jaish-e-Mohammed and Al-Qaeda. Photos of marked targets and 29 pages of Arabic and Urdu literature aimed at radicalizing youth were also seized.
The haul included a pistol and six live cartridges, which Sheikh confessed to purchasing six months ago from an unidentified contact in Uttar Pradesh. DSP Harsh Upadhyay confirmed that teams are working to identify the potential victims, with technical analysis expected to wrap up in a few days.
This bust underscores the ATS’s vigilance in countering lone-wolf threats fueled by online radicalization. As investigations deepen, authorities are racing to uncover any broader networks, ensuring public safety remains paramount in Gujarat.