New Delhi: The Delhi Police Special Cell has foiled an alleged terror plot involving Bangladeshi nationals employed as garment factory workers in Kolkata and Tiruppur.
In a press conference Sunday, Special Cell identified the central character in the plot as Shabbir Ahmad Lone who, according to them, travelled to Bangladesh to recruit individuals with the aim of reviving the operations of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) in India.
The Bangladeshi labourers were illegally brought into India, with the help of forged Aadhaar cards, and tasked to put up ‘pro-Pakistan’ and ‘pro-terror’ posters at metro stations in Delhi and Kolkata, the Special Cell said.
As part of the operation, Special Cell conducted raids in Kolkata, West Bengal and Tiruppur, Tamil Nadu, which led to the arrest of eight men, including seven Bangladeshi nationals.
They have been identified as Malda resident Umar Faruk, 31, and Bangladeshi nationals Robiul Islam, 31, Mohammed Mizanur Rehman, 32, Mohammed Sefayat Hossain, 34, Mohammed Zahidul Islam, 40, Mohammed Liton, 40, Mohammed Uzzal, 27, and Umar, 32.
The matter came to light on 2 February when a written complaint was given by CISF shift-in-charge to Delhi Police regarding affixing of ‘pro-Pakistan’ and ‘pro-terror’ posters by unknown individuals at Janpath metro station.
During enquiry and verification, similar such posters were found affixed at few other locations in Delhi, including Kashmere Gate metro station. The posters contained photographs idolising Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) operative Burhan Wani, and others.
Police sources said one of the posters read: “India stop genocide and free Kashmir.”
Another read: “Hum Pakistani hain, Pakistan humara hai, and Kashmir ek jut-ta divas.”
Police registered a case under BNS sections 152 (threatening sovereignty), 196 (promoting enmity), 197 (assertions prejudicial to national integration), besides relevant sections of the DPDP Act. The case was transferred to the Special Cell which gathered intelligence regarding activities of Lashkar-e-Taiba operatives and their Bangladeshi connections.
Based on technical analysis and manual verification of available data, investigators zeroed in on a lead in Kolkata.
On 15 February, the Special Cell identified a hideout in Kolkata, and a raid was conducted in Majherpara, Hatiara Gote. This led to the arrest of Umar Faruk and Robiul Islam. The two accused, during sustained interrogation, revealed the alleged plot.
On 21 February, hideouts of the alleged Tamil Nadu module were identified and six accused were arrested after simultaneous raids.
So far, Special Cell has recovered ‘pro-Pakistan’ and ‘pro-terror’ posters from the rented accommodations of the accused. Multiple posters found affixed in multiple locations in West Bengal, along with phones, debit and credit cards, and passports have also been seized.
“During interrogation, Umar Faruk revealed that he came in contact with Shabir Ahmad Lone alias Raja alias Kashmiri in March 2025, and was indoctrinated by him, Shabir appointed Umar to spearhead LeT operations in India,” Additional Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Singh Kushwah said in the press conference Sunday.
He added that Shabir’s plan was to use Bangladeshi nationals who have assumed Indian identities to carry out terror strikes. In December 2025, Umar was directed by Shabir to conduct reconnaissance of multiple important locations and send videos of the recce.
“After a successful recce, Shabir directed Umar to visit him in Bangladesh for further directions, and tasked him to recruit more Bangladeshi nationals, residing illegally in India,” a police source told ThePrint.
Acting on Shabir’s directions, Umar rented a hideout in Kolkata, and provided the details to Shabir. Umar also arranged weapons through local contacts, police said.
On 6 February, Umar and Islam took a flight to Delhi from Kolkata, via Patna. And on 7 February, at night, they affixed the posters at 10 different locations, and then left for Kolkata via train the next day. They made videos of them putting up the posters as well, sources said.
Police said Shabir is a resident of Srinagar, and was previously arrested by the Special Cell in 2007 along with AK-47 and grenades. He was allegedly in India at the time for a fidayeen mission, said sources. He was incarcerated in Tihar Jail, till 2018.
When Shabir was arrested in 2007, Additional CP Kushwah said, he had direct links with Hafiz Saeed, the head of Jamaat-ud-Dawa (JuD), and his deputy Zakiur Rehman Lakhvi.
“Shabir was a trained militant of LeT and currently, he was handling India bound operations of LeT, while being based in Bangladesh,” Kushwah said. “He also undertook Daura-e-Aam (basic terror training) and Daura-e-Khaas (advanced terror training) from Muzaffarabad LeT camp.”
Sources in the Special Cell added, “Shabir was backed and funded by ISI to recruit Bangladeshi youth, residing illegally in India, for planning terror plots.”
(Edited by Amrtansh Arora)
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