Gujarat ATS Foils ISIS-Linked Ricin Biochemical Terror Plot
The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) disrupted a biochemical terror plot linked to ISIS Khurasan involving the planned use of ricin toxin to poison public water supplies for mass casualties. A doctor and two other suspects were arrested, weapons and chemical precursors for ricin manufacture were seized, and reconnaissance activities in Ahmedabad and Delhi were uncovered. The plot represents India’s first foiled ricin bioterror attack.
In November 2025, the Gujarat ATS uncovered and foiled a significant biochemical terror plot involving a group allegedly linked to ISIS Khurasan. Among the arrested was Dr. Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyyad, who had converted his home in Hyderabad into a crude laboratory for producing ricin, a lethal toxin derived from castor beans with no antidote. The group planned to contaminate public water supplies and food in multiple Indian cities including Ahmedabad, Delhi, and Lucknow, aiming for a silent, mass-casualty attack. During raids, authorities seized ricin precursor materials such as castor pulp, chemicals like acetone, an oil-press extraction machine, firearms, ammunition, and digital evidence revealing reconnaissance of key markets. This incident highlights a troubling shift by terror groups toward low-cost, high-impact biochemical weapons. Authorities continue to investigate associated digital communications and potential collaborators. This operation marks the first known disruption of a ricin-based terror plot in India and underscores the country's counterterrorism preparedness against emerging biochemical threats.
