Big Breakthrough: Lashkar-e-Taiba Terrorist Shabir Ahmed Lone Arrested In Delhi Anti-India Poster Case

New Delhi: In a major breakthrough, the Delhi Police Special Cell has arrested Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist Shabir Ahmed Lone, identified as the handler of the recently busted terror module linked to the Delhi Metro anti-India poster case.

Links to ISI, Anti-India Propaganda

Lone is suspected to have been actively involved and played a central role in spreading anti-national content and coordinating activities through a wider network as he reportedly pasted objectionable and anti-India posters at multiple locations across the national capital.

They claimed that the act aimed to create unrest and influence public sentiment through propaganda.

Further, they suggested that the module was allegedly developed under the direction of Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI.

He is currently being interrogated to uncover further links and operational details.

Counter Intelligence Wing Cracks LeT Module in Kashmir

The arrest comes days after the Counter Intelligence Wing of Jammu and Kashmir Police dismantled a Lashkar-e-Taiba recruitment network operating across Srinagar, Ganderbal, and Shopian.

Searches were conducted at multiple locations under warrants issued by a special NIA court in Srinagar in connection with these and seized several incriminating materials, including digital devices, SIM cards, laptops, and key documents.

The key figure involved in the exposed module is also Shabir Ahmad Lone. 

Who is Shabir Ahmed Lone? 

Shabir Ahmed Lone, a resident of Kangan in Ganderbal, operated under aliases such as “Raju” and “Zafar Saddique.".

Officials described him as highly radicalised and trained, with deep operational links to terror outfits. 

Earlier, he was also arrested in 2007 by the Delhi Police Special Cell with a large cache of weapons and ammunition, including AK-47 rifles and grenades.

He remained lodged in Tihar Jail until 2018, and at the time of his earlier arrest, Lone was found to have direct links with Jamaat-ud-Dawa chief Hafiz Saeed and his deputy Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, who are the masterminds of 26/11 terror attack. 

However, he got bail in 2019, and after his release, Lone allegedly resumed terror activities and was operating from Bangladesh, where he continued to handle Lashkar-e-Taiba operations targeting India.

Further, they revealed that Lone underwent extensive training in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir. This included a 21-day Daura-e-Am programme covering basic arms and grenade handling, followed by a three-month Daura-e-Khas programme involving advanced weapons training, including AK rifles, LMGs, rocket launchers, and IED-making.

He began as an underground worker in the late 1990s before formally joining LeT in the early 2000s, as per officials. 

He allegedly infiltrated India via the Bangladesh border, was involved in conspiracies linked to major attacks, and later moved back to Bangladesh. From there, he continued to orchestrate recruitment and radicalisation while maintaining close contact with the senior leadership of the proscribed outfits.