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A suspected operative of Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), accused of orchestrating anti-India plots from a base in Bangladesh, was apprehended near the Delhi border on Monday. The individual, identified as Shabbir Ahmad Lone — who also goes by the aliases Raja and Kashmiri — is a resident of Kangan in Jammu and Kashmir’s Srinagar district. His arrest was the result of a coordinated effort between the Delhi Police Special Cell and central intelligence agencies, who had been tracking his movements for some time.

 

According to officials, Lone had been operating out of Bangladesh under the direct guidance of Pakistan’s ISI. The main purpose of his job, it is alleged, was to recruit Bangladeshi nationals, including those living illegally in India, to carry out terror attacks on behalf of the Lashkar, with Pakistan maintaining a degree of deniability. This breakthrough comes in the wake of the recent capture of another Lashkar cell, which was operational in Delhi and South India, with members of the cell allegedly engaged in anti-India propaganda.

 

Lone is described as a veteran militant who completed both basic and advanced combat training at a terror camp in Muzaffarabad. His history with the group’s senior leadership is extensive; he was first arrested by the Special Cell back in 2007 in possession of a significant cache of weaponry, including an AK-47 and several grenades. During that period, investigators linked him directly to 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed and commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi.

 

After spending over a decade in Tihar Jail, Lone was released on bail in 2018. However, he soon reappeared in Bangladesh and worked on re-establishing the group's links in that region. His recent activities appear to indicate that he had handlers in Pakistan and that he operated in other countries in the region. He is currently being questioned as investigations try to establish his recruitment network, sources of funding, and any specific targets he may have had in mind.

 

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