New Delhi, March 31,: Security agencies have arrested Shabir Ahmad Lone in Delhi’s Ghazipur area, with officials alleging that he played a key coordinating role in a recently uncovered cross-border module linked to the so-called metro poster case, police said.
The arrest was carried out by a team of the Special Cell of Delhi Police, officials said, adding that Lone had been under surveillance following earlier arrests connected to the same network.
The investigators believe the case points to an attempt to build an operational network across multiple Indian cities using cross-border links, raising concerns over urban security and recruitment patterns.
Special Cell officer Pramod Singh Kushwaha said Lone was apprehended by a team led by newly appointed DCP Praveen Tripathi of the New Delhi Range, along with Inspectors Sunil and Dheeraj Mehlawat.
Officials said Lone is alleged to have acted as a handler for a group of individuals arrested earlier in connection with the case, including seven Bangladeshi nationals and one Indian national. Key figures identified by police include Umar Farooq and Rabiyul Islam.
According to police, further arrests were made in Tiruppur in Tamil Nadu, where six Bangladeshi nationals linked to the same network were detained.
Authorities said multiple foreign currencies were recovered from Lone, including Bangladeshi Taka, Nepalese currency, Pakistani currency and Indian rupees, along with a Nepalese SIM card.
Investigators said Lone has a history of prior arrests. He was earlier detained by the Special Cell in 2007 in a case where an AK-47 rifle and a hand grenade were recovered, and was later convicted, officials said.
Police added that he was again arrested in 2015 in Srinagar’s Parimpora area in a case involving recovery of weapons.
According to investigators, after his release, Lone allegedly travelled to Bangladesh, where he is believed to have established contacts with individuals identified by code names Abu Huzaifa and Sumama Babar, whom officials described as linked to a Pakistan-based organisation.
Officials said the network is alleged to have set up an operational base in Kolkata, which was used to coordinate activities including the putting up of posters in metro areas of Kolkata and Delhi as a “test run” to assess operational capability.
Police said members of the group also carried out reconnaissance of several locations across the country, including religious sites and crowded public areas, and shared video footage with handlers based abroad.
Authorities credited local police for initially taking the metro poster incidents seriously, leading to identification of key suspects and eventual transfer of the case to the Special Cell.
Subsequent investigations resulted in multiple arrests across states, culminating in the apprehension of Lone, who officials allege was attempting to expand the network and identify new recruits and operational locations.
The National Investigation Agency is expected to further examine the case as part of its mandate in handling cases with inter-state and cross-border dimensions, officials said. [KNT]
