NIA arrests LeT member from Mumbai airport

Bengaluru: The National Investigation Agency has arrested a member of Lashkar-e-Toiba at Mumbai airport for his alleged involvement in a criminal conspiracy hatched by the terror group to target prominent religious leaders, politicians and journalists here and in Hubbali.

The 57-year-old Khan was wanted for his role in the criminal conspiracy few years back, NIA said in a release here on Wednesday. He will be produced before an NIA Special Court here and his police custody will be sought, it said. Khan was wanted in a case registered in 2012 for his alleged role in the criminal conspiracy to kill prominent religious persons, journalists, police officials in Bangalore and Hubbali city, it said.

The case was registered on the basis of a source information that one resident of Beed, Maharashtra, was attempting to collect explosive substances, including Ammonium Nitrate, in pursuance of a large conspiracy hatched by LeT members such as Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal, Fayaz Kagzi and others to organise terrorist attacks in various parts of India, it said.

The NIA had in April 2013, filed charge sheet against accused Ansari, the agency said. Khan was wanted in a case registered in 2012 for his alleged role in the criminal conspiracy to kill prominent religious persons, journalists, police officials in Bangalore and Hubbali city, it said.

The case was registered on the basis of a source information that one resident of Beed, Maharashtra, was attempting to collect explosive substances, including Ammonium Nitrate, in pursuance of a large conspiracy hatched by LeT members such as Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal, Fayaz Kagzi and others to organise terrorist attacks in various parts of India, it said. The NIA had in April 2013, filed charge sheet against accused Ansari, the agency said.