NEW DELHI, July 17: Five more persons have been arrested by the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) as the investigation into the module allegedly linked with the Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) progressed further, the police said on Friday.
With this, the total number of person arrested in connection with the module went up to 13. Eight accused were arrested earlier after reports of their suspicious activities.
The five accused arrested have been identified as Bilal Abidbhai Shera (24), Mohammad Ayyub Kadiwala (22), Mohammad Ayyubbhai Sunsara alias Mohammad Khali (20), Mohammad Hasan Hanifbhai Kardiya alias Hasan Haiderpuri (20), all residents of Patan district, and Shafi Raees Mukhi alias Shafi Chhapi (21) from Banaskantha district. They were apprehended from Khadiyal village in Siddhpur taluka of Patan district.
The case was registered on July 2 under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
According to ATS Deputy Inspector General Sunil Joshi, the investigation indicated that some of the accused had been staying at the Jamia Abul Hasan Madrasa in Patan district since 2023. During this period, they allegedly underwent training in assembling improvised explosive devices (IEDs), learnt bomb detonation techniques and circulated extremist literature, including a publication titled Akela Mujahid Jihad Kaise Kare, he said.
Mr Joshi said the ATS constituted multiple teams to identify additional suspects and examine persons believed to have knowledge of the alleged conspiracy. In coordination with police units in Gujarat and Rajasthan, several persons were questioned, following which the involvement of five more individuals allegedly came to light, leading to their arrest.
According to the ATS, the accused allegedly procured raw materials such as potassium nitrate, sulphur and charcoal through online platforms and local markets. The agency claimed they conducted several experiments involving timer mechanisms and crude explosive devices between 2023 and February 2026 in an isolated area near their village to understand the intensity and impact of explosions.
Investigators alleged that the group experimented with different pipe sizes, pressure levels, timers, detonators and welded casings while carrying out at least eight test blasts. The ATS alleged that these activities were supervised by one of the previously arrested accused, Mohammad Amin Shera.
The agency said it had recovered a Jaish-e-Mohammed flag, printed copies of books authored by JeM chief Masood Azhar, a printed letter addressed to Azhar and ₹1.3 lakh in cash. The ATS suspects the money was intended to finance the activities of the alleged module.
Investigators said Bilal Abidbhai Shera had supplied a pen drive containing jihadi speeches, videos and digital copies of books authored by Masood Azhar to Mohammad Amin Shera, who was arrested earlier in the case. According to the ATS, the material was later printed at different locations.
The ATS also claimed that the interrogation of Mohammad Ayyub Kadiwala revealed that he, along with Mohammad Amin Shera, Ahmad Ghaziwala, Zakariya Ghagha and others, had allegedly assembled at a mosque where they discussed extremist ideology, learnt to assemble an IED and conducted a test blast.
Based on the evidence gathered so far, the five accused were arrested on Wednesday for their alleged role in the conspiracy. A court has remanded them to eight days of police custody to facilitate further investigation.
The ATS had earlier arrested eight alleged JeM operatives from different parts of Gujarat and neighbouring Madhya Pradesh on July 3, claiming that they were attempting to establish an active network for the banned organisation in the State.
(Manas Dasgupta)