The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two absconding ISIS operatives linked to a 2023 terror conspiracy case involving IED fabrication in Pune.

The suspects, Abdullah Faiyaz Shaikh alias Diaperwala, and Talha Khan, were intercepted at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport after arriving from Jakarta, Indonesia.

Wanted for over two years, both had non-bailable warrants and Rs 3 lakh rewards on their heads. The NIA said they were part of a 10-member ISIS sleeper module plotting attacks to disrupt communal harmony and wage war against the Indian government.

Shaikh had rented a house in Kondhwa, Pune, where IEDs were assembled and bomb-making workshops were held. The group even conducted a controlled explosion to test a device.

A chargesheet has been filed against all ten accused under the UAPA, Explosive Substances Act, Arms Act, and IPC. Investigations are ongoing.