The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against three individuals, including a doctor, in an ISIS-linked bioterrorism conspiracy case.
The central agency said in a statement on Tuesday that the accused—Hyderabad-based Dr. Syed Ahmed Mohiuddin and co-accused Azad and Mohammad Suhel from Uttar Pradesh—were chargesheeted before a special NIA court in Ahmedabad.
“Working under the guidance of their respective Islamic State-linked foreign-based handlers, the accused had operated in a coordinated manner to recruit vulnerable youth radicalised by the handlers to support jihad and spread terror through prohibited weapons and bioterrorism,” the NIA said.
The agency added that the suspects had planned to use ricin, a highly toxic substance derived from castor seeds and classified under Schedule I of the Chemical Weapons Convention, to carry out ISIS’s nefarious agenda of mass poisoning in public places.
The case was initially registered by the Gujarat ATS following Mohiuddin’s arrest in China in November 2025. He was apprehended at a toll plaza while carrying illegal weapons, a bottle containing four litres of castor oil, and other incriminating items in his car.
An ATS-led investigation led to the arrest of the other two accused on the same day. Azad and Suhel were found to have previously collected parcels containing money and illegal weapons from a dead-drop site in Hanumangarh, Rajasthan, and delivered them to a location in Chhatral, Gujarat, for Mohiuddin to pick up.
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The NIA, which took over the investigation in January 2026, found that Mohiuddin was drawn into the conspiracy by his handler with the promise of being appointed ISIS’s ‘Amir’ of South Asia. The agency also discovered that Mohiuddin had converted his Hyderabad residence into a laboratory for producing ricin from castor seeds.
Further investigation revealed that the other two accused actively participated in the conspiracy by maintaining contact with handlers, receiving and using terror proceeds, conducting reconnaissance, taking oaths of allegiance, and collecting illegal arms and ammunition.
According to the NIA, Suhel acted as the key link between the handlers and the other accused, coordinating recruitment, funds, and weapons consignments. He also conducted reconnaissance, recorded Bay’ah (oath of allegiance) videos, and prepared ISIS flags.
“Investigation in the case RC-01/2026/NIA/AMD is continuing as part of NIA’s efforts to track the handlers and others involved in the conspiracy,” the statement said.