Delhi Police busts LeT terror cell: Hafiz Saeed links exposed after 8 Bangladeshi operatives arrested
Precision intel blending human sources and surveillance zeroed in on a Lashkar-e-Taiba sleeper cell orchestrated by Bangladesh-based Kashmiri mastermind Shabir Ahmad Lone. On February 15, Special Cell stormed a hideout in Kolkata's Majherpara, Hatiara, capturing Umar Faruk).
A Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) complaint at Delhi's Supreme Court Metro station on February 8 (Sunday), ignited a high-stakes hunt. Radical posters glorifying Jaish-e-Mohammed's (JeM)Burhan Wani, screaming "India stop genocide and Free Kashmir," and Urdu slogans like "Hum Pakistani Hain, Pakistan Hamara Hai" surfaced across Janpath and beyond. Delhi Police's Special Cell took over FIR Number 01/26 under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) sections 152/196/197 and DPDP Act, tracing leads from initial footwork by Inspector Ajay Kumar's team.
Multi-state raids bust sleeper network
Intelligence fused with human tips pinpointed a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) module run by Bangladesh-based Kashmiri handler Shabir Ahmad Lone. On February 15 (Sunday), Special Cell raided Majherpara, Kolkata, nabbing Umar Faruk (31, Malda, WB) and Robiul Islam (31, Bangladesh). Six days later, on February 21 (Sunday), simultaneous strikes in Tamil Nadu's Tiruppur, arrested Mohd Mizanur Rehman (32), Mohd Sefayat Hossain (34), Mohd Zahidul Islam (40), Mohd Liton (40), Mohd Uzzal (27) and Umar (32)- all Bangladeshi illegals posing with fake Indian IDs in garment factories.
Recoveries paint sinister plot
Raids yielded pro-Pakistan posters plastered in West Bengal hideouts, 10 incriminating phones, 25 credit/debit cards, 5 POS machines, Bangladeshi passports and IDs. Videos showed reconnaissance of vital Delhi sites like Red Fort and temples, plus weapon-buying bids. The cell aimed at major strikes, funded by Pakistan's ISI to recruit illegals via LeT camps.
Mastermind's 26/11 ties and revival bid
Shabir Ahmad Lone (@Raja @Kashmiri, Kangan, Srinagar), nabbed by Special Cell in 2007 with AK-47s and grenades (FIR 59/2007), escaped Tihar post-2018 to Bangladesh. Trained in Muzaffarabad's Daura-e-Aam/Khaas, he linked directly to LeT chief Hafiz Saeed and 26/11 plotter Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, per 2007 evidence. From exile, Shabir radicalised Umar in March 2025, ordering Delhi/Kolkata posters (affixed February 7-8), recce videos, arms hunts and Tamil Nadu recruits via aide Saidul Islam. Accomplice Saidul eased Shabir's Bangladesh entry and fed Tamil Nadu intel.
Timely bust thwarts pan-India carnage
Led by Inspector Sunil Rajain, Dheeraj, ACP Rahul Vikram and DCP Amit Kaushik, the 10-day op- spanning Delhi, Gurugram surveillance, tech trails and WB/TN blitzes- averted blasts at religious icons, possibly avenging a Pakistan mosque attack. Seven illegals masked as locals; probes hunt funding, sleepers and cross-border enablers amid Bangladesh unrest.
Shocking revelations from interrogations
Interrogations of the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) Bangladesh module nabbed by Delhi Police Special Cell unveiled a chilling blueprint orchestrated by Shabir Ahmad Lone (@Raja/@Kashmiri), holed up in Bangladesh. He radicalized illegals posing as Indians via forged IDs to plot major strikes, masking their origins while scouting high-value targets. The network preyed on Bangladeshi youth in India for covert ops, blending seamlessly into garment hubs and cities.
Timeline of radicalisation and recce
Umar Faruk hooked up with Shabir in March 2025, got indoctrinated and was handed LeT's India ops reins. By December, Shabir ordered recce of sensitive Delhi sites; videos shot post-surveillance beamed back for approval. Deemed solid, Umar was summoned to Bangladesh for deeper plotting and tasked with recruiting more illegals- leading to a Kolkata hideout setup as terror base, plus arms hustling via local contacts.
Poster campaign and accomplice web
Shabir scripted pro-Pak/pro-terror poster blitzes in Delhi (February 7-8) and Kolkata, with videos of the act earning his praise and expansion orders. Aide Saidul Islam, now abroad, greased Shabir's Bangladesh entry, arranged safe houses and leaked Tamil Nadu cell intel to fuel the pan-India web. All raids stemmed from these provocations, yielding phones, posters, and fake docs.
Shabir's bloody past and ISI backing
A 2007 Special Cell bust netted Shabir with AK-47s/grenades (jailed till 2018); intercepts then tied him to Hafiz Saeed and Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi. Muzaffarabad-trained (basic/advanced terror courses), he's now ISI-fueled, reviving LeT sleepers for blasts. Probe ongoing; module eyed Red Fort/temples amid Delhi alerts.