Pune ISIS Sleeper Module Case: Two Accused Held By NIA At Mumbai Airport Amid Attempt To Return From Indonesia

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two absconding ISIS operatives, Abdullah Faiyaz Shaikh alias Diaperwala, and Talha Khan, at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport, the NIA statement read.

The two fugitives were intercepted by immigration authorities upon their arrival from Jakarta, Indonesia, and immediately taken into custody.

The duo had been on the run for over two years in connection with a 2023 Improvised Explosive Device (IED) case in Pune, Maharashtra.

According to the NIA, they were part of an ISIS sleeper cell that aimed to destabilise the country and impose an Islamic caliphate through acts of violence and terror.

The arrests come after non-bailable warrants were issued by a special NIA court in Mumbai, and cash rewards of Rs 3 lakh were announced for information leading to each suspect’s arrest.

Investigations revealed that Shaikh had rented a property in Kondhwa, Pune, where the accused held IED assembly workshops during 2022–2023.

An IED was even tested in a controlled explosion at the site, the agency stated.

The case involves 10 accused in total, all linked to the ISIS sleeper cell in Pune.

The other eight , including Mohammed Imran Khan, Mohammed Yunus Saki, Abdul Kadir Pathan, Simab Nasiruddin Kazi, Zulfikar Ali Barodawala, Shamil Nachan, Akif Nachan, and Shahnawaz Alam, are already in judicial custody.

Earlier, the NIA had filed charges in the case under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Explosive Substances Act, Arms Act, and Indian Penal Code (IPC).