India: Muslim Doctor, Two Others Arrested for Alleged Ricin Jihad Terror Plot
The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed, a 35-year-old Hyderabad-based doctor, along with two accomplices in a multi-city counter-terror operation that authorities say foiled a planned ricin-based attack on sites across India. While Saiyed was intercepted near the Adalaj toll plaza on the Ahmedabad-Mehsana road (Gujarat) and arrested on November 7, his accomplices, identified as Azad Suleman Sheikh (20) and Mohammad Suhail Mohammad Saleem Khan (23), were picked up in Banaskantha district, Gujarat.
The Gujarat ATS arrested three Muslims from the same state for plotting terror attacks in India, while New York’s newly elected mayor, Zohran Mamdani, once commented that no Muslims lived in that state because Narendra Modi had killed all of them.
These arrests came after an intelligence tip-off led investigators to a stash of weapons and chemical precursors that the ATS said were intended to be used to produce ricin, a highly toxic compound derived from castor beans. ATS officials told reporters that Saiyed, a Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) graduate from China, had begun preparing ricin by obtaining the necessary substances and conducting chemical research. Investigators further verified that forensic examination of mobile devices and other seized items showed evidence that Saiyed had been experimenting with extracting ricin from castor-seed waste.
Saiyed was also in possession of two pistols, one of which was a Glock model and the other a Beretta model, approximately 30 live cartridges, and four litres of castor oil. The ATS says information recovered from the doctor’s phone helped identify and lead to arrests of two other suspects from Uttar Pradesh: Azad Suleman Sheikh, a tailor, and Mohammad Suhail Mohammad Saleem Khan, a student, who are accused of supplying weapons and logistics. Saiyed was also found to have maintained contact with associates in Pakistan. Their sinister plot combined a conventional-arms threat with an attempted chemical attack.
Ricin is an exceedingly potent toxin produced from castor-bean waste, and is lethal even in small quantities if ingested, inhaled, or injected; authorities stress that possession or production of such agents is treated as an act of terrorism under Indian law.
The ATS statement described the operation as “pan-India” in intent. It said the arrested suspects had been researching ways to weaponise castor-derived materials and to obtain firearms via illicit channels, including drone-enabled smuggling. Police have been collaborating with forensic laboratories to determine the scale of ricin production, and whether any batches of the toxin were successfully manufactured.
Officials also confirm the three suspects had conducted reconnaissance of multiple potential targets in Delhi, Lucknow, and Ahmedabad, and had scouted offices and premises of Hindu groups as part of a wider plan. While the ATS refrains from confirming, news reports allege that they might have planned to extract ricin and use it to contaminate public water sources and temple prasad (food offerings) in these cities. The ATS, however, confirms links between the Islamic jihadis and an overseas handler identified in its briefings as “Abu Khadija,” an Afghan-based operative reportedly associated with Islamic State-Khorasan Province.
Islamic State–Khorasan Province (ISKP), also known as ISIS-K, is the South and Central Asian branch of the Islamic State (ISIS). Formed in 2015, it primarily operates in Afghanistan and parts of Pakistan, but has also attempted to expand its influence across the wider region. The terror group recruits from splinter factions of the Taliban, former jihadis, and jihad-inclined individuals across the region, and has carried out major bombings in Afghanistan targeting civilians and religious minorities, and has increasingly used online propaganda to recruit Muslim youth in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Central Asia for jihad.
The FIR that the Gujarat police registered includes charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), provisions of the Indian Penal Code relating to conspiracy and arms offenses, and other applicable statutes. Local law enforcement officials stated that the detained suspects were remanded to judicial custody as the investigation continues. According to court records, Saiyed was remanded until November 17. The investigation will continue, tracing further associates, financial trails, and online connections. Officials are coordinating with central agencies and state police forces in Uttar Pradesh and Telangana to follow up on leads and determine whether additional devices, precursor materials, or accomplices remain at large.
A common but flawed belief is that Islamic terrorism mainly draws in Muslim youth from poor or poorly educated backgrounds who are easily manipulated. The recent arrests must have shattered that assumption by now. The involvement of doctors in plots aimed at large-scale harm shows that commitment to jihad can spread far beyond socio-economic boundaries. These cases reveal that jihadist ideologies can take root even among highly trained Muslim professionals.
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