NEW DELHI: The busting of the Faridabad module and the ricin terror plot reveals how deeply Pakistan-backed networks have penetrated India. The Faridabad module behind the Delhi Red Fort blast had stockpiled nearly 3,000 kilograms of ammonium, showing the scale of planned attacks. Simultaneously, a major terror plot was unfolding in the South, where the Gujarat ATS arrested Hyderabad resident Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed, 35, for allegedly planning a ricin-based strike.
While the Faridabad module is linked to the Jaish-e-Mohammad, the ricin plot is attributed to the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP). Both organisations operate under the broader direction of Pakistan’s ISI, officials said. Intelligence Bureau assessments indicate that the ISI intended to create widespread disruption across both North and South India.
Officials added that Pakistan’s strategy relies on exploiting existing fault lines. In the North, it leverages narratives of Muslim persecution; in the South, it attempts to weaponise language-related grievances. The ISKP’s ricin plan appears aligned with this strategy, aiming to deepen the narrative that South India must distance itself from the North. Some political groups in the South have long fueled the language debate, and the ISI has attempted to amplify these divisions through groups such as ISKP.
Like the Faridabad operatives, Saiyed was handled by an Afghanistan-based controller. The FIR names the handler as Abu Khadija, who repeatedly told Saiyed that the South should be separated from the North. Officials say both the ammonium stockpile and the ricin operation were massive in scale, and if executed, the results would have been catastrophic. The Faridabad module allegedly planned serial blasts across North India. Counter-terror experts say the ricin plot would have been even more challenging to counter because ricin is a potent biotoxin. The Gujarat ATS discovered that Khadija instructed Saiyed and his associates to kill as many people as possible. Saiyed purchased 10 kilograms of castor seeds, used a cold-press machine to extract oil, mixed the residue with acetone, and stored the ricin in a drum.
Agencies have long warned that ISKP may attempt bioterror attacks in India, and this case aligns with those alerts.
Officials say the scale and coordination of both the Faridabad and ricin modules strongly suggest institutional support from Pakistan. (IANS)
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