Mumbai: Believed to be the man who procured explosives for most of the blasts carried out in India between 2006 and 2013, the 27-year-old Zainul Aabedin has been on the run for a long time.
A key member of Indian Mujhahideen (IM), Aabedin was arrested from Mumbai International Airport early on Tuesday morning. By late evening, it was clear that Maharashtra ATS had a big catch. Aabedin is an IM operative wanted by Gujarat Police, National Investigation Agency (NIA) and police forces in other states.
Following the 13/7 Mumbai blasts, 10 IM members were arrested and during the course of the interrogation Aabedin's role was disclosed. Seven other accused are still at large.
On July 13, 2011, three bombs went off in a coordinated manner at Mumbai's Zaveri Bazaar, Opera House and Dadar, killing 27 people and injuring over 120. The Maharashtra ATS took over the investigations and arrested 12 alleged IM members, including the prime accused Yasin Bhatkal.
A Red Corner Notice was issued against Aabedin in 2015. He is the 12th arrest in the case. He has been sent to police custody till May 6.
Special Inspector General Niket Kaushik told CNN-News18, "Explosives were procured by him. His arrest will help us unearth the conspiracy and ascertain the role of the other co-accused in the case. We still have more arrests to make in this case."
Top sources from Maharashtra ATS told CNN-News18 that Aabedin worked closely with Syed Ismail Afaque who was arrested earlier. His name figured during Afaque's interrogation.
Aabedin fled to Dubai soon after Afaque was arrested but was detained in Saudi Arabia in 2015. Indian authorities had also shared inputs with their Saudi counterparts.
What is still not clear at present is whether Aabedin's arrest is a sort of facilitated passage as it is being suspected in the power corridors of Mumbai. Top ATS officers were completely tight lipped about how the arrest was made. But an arrest at the airport only raises more suspicion.
What has emerged from Afaque's arrest is that an explosives supply module existed within IM which operated essentially out of Bhatkal. This module worked on the instructions of IM co-founder Riyaz Bhatkal.
Even for the German bakery blast, explosives were dispatched from Bhatkal which was carried by Aabedin to Udipi. It is suspected that the explosives were further carried by Yasin Bhatkal.
Sources say that for the 13/7 blasts, Aabedin took the RDX consignment from Afaque. The explosives were carried by Aabedin who was instructed to deliver the consignment to Waqas. The IED was assembled in a safe house situated in the heart of the city.
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