Maharashtra (Islamist/Other Conflicts): Timeline (Terrorist Activities) -2015

The four major international airports of India in Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata constitute about 94 per cent of instances of drugs smuggling and seizures, according to Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) data, The Times of India reports on January 4. Out of a total 63 incidents of narcotics detection and seizure at airports in the country in 2013, 59 were reported from these air facilities, one of the largest hubs in terms of passenger and cargo load. Only six per cent of cases were detected at the airports of Guwahati (Assam), Bangalore (Karnataka)and Madurai (Tamil Nadu).While Delhi's Indira Gandhi International Airport reported a total of 17 drugs seizure cases during the said period, the Chennai airport had 16 such instances while Kolkata and Mumbai airports registered 13 such instances each during 2013. Over 1,026 kilograms of narcotics, including Ketamine, Ganja, Heroin, Ephedrine and Pseudoephedrine were seized from these air facilities during the year leading to the arrest of 75 people under the provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act, the data said."Drug couriers are largely intercepted and detected at international airports as they have the facility of being connected to foreign shores. Instances of both the consignment being sent out of India or being brought in have been detected under these seizures," a senior anti-narcotics official said. Read less...

One of the three Kalyan (Mumbai, Maharashtra) youths fighting with Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) in Iraq and Syria is learnt to have died in a battle recently, reports The Times of India on January 15. According to the report Shaheen Tanki, a close friend of arrested ISIS operative Arib Majeed, is learnt to have died fighting in Iraq. However, Intelligence agencies are now verifying the information. Sources said, early this week, one of the persons in the Kalyan boys friends circle in the Mumbai suburb received a message from an unknown number in Iraq that Tanki had died. The suspicion was further strengthened as he hadn't spoken to his family for over one-and-a-half months. A security establishment officer said that "Generally these boys call their family randomly once a month. However, Tanki hasn't called for almost two months. Now this message has arrived that he is dead. We are trying to verify the information." Sources added that such verification is not easy as the boys are in a territory where India or even the legitimate Government in Iraq has no access. Sources also said agencies would consider him dead only if there is more clarity. Read less...

Security agencies in Mumbai (Maharashtra) have gone into high alert mode after two hand written notes scribbled on the wall inside the Mumbai airport found on January 15 evening warned of a terror attack by Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) on Republic Day, reports Zee News on January 16. According to the reports, the two notes with ISIS names on them teasingly ask: “ISIS 26/01/2015 is BOM ok' (with a plane drawn next to it)”. The notes were found in two toilets, meant for males, by a cleaner. However, the Mumbai Police has been, in view of the Republic Day on January 26 maintaining heightened level of vigil Read less...

The Mumbai Metro has been put on high alert after a specific alert from the Intelligence Bureau (IB) indicating a threat of a possible terror strike on the city’s only metro line, which runs between Versova (Western Mumbai) and Ghatkopar (Eastern Mumbai), reports Hindustan Times on January 17. The alert was sent after the technical intelligence unit picked up a mobile phone conversation in which the plot was discussed. IB sources said that two persons living in Andheri West, who are part of the alleged plot, have been identified. Both the suspects were questioned by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the crime branch. While the names of the individuals have been withheld as the probe in ongoing, the police stations concerned have been informed about the threat, said officials. Read less...

Mumbai Police have busted a major fake SIM card racket suspected to have international terror links with the arrest of three persons including two sales executives of a mobile service providers, The Times of India reports on January 31. 2,173 SIM cards, eight high end mobile phones, thousands of fake Adhar card, PAN cards and other government documents which 26 year old accused Sharif Khan procure to activate these cards have been seized from his house in Govandi in eastern suburbs of Mumbai. Two territory sales executive of the two service providers have been identified as Atin Vast alias Sharma (29) and Dharmandra Bangari (31). Police have also recovered a personal diary of Khan in which there are 24 pages containing several code words against various names of foreign countries viz Afghanistan-1, Indonesia-1, Myanmar-2, Pakistan-1, China-1 etc. ``Now our focus will be to decode these codes and his emails and his facebook through which he was coordinating with various people globally.'' Said Dhananjay Kamlakar, Joint Commissioner of Police (law and order). Looking into the sensitivity of the case Mumbai Police Commissioner Rakesh Maria has set up a Special Investigating Team (SIT) and have included officers from Crime Branch as well the Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Cyber cell to probe the terror angle. Read less...