'Big fish' bomb maker: Police say terror suspect was inspired by Zakir Naik

NEW DELHI: One of the 2 panic suspects precocious arrested successful Andhra Pradesh's Rayachoti municipality has been identified arsenic a large operative with extended acquisition successful bomb-making and links to past panic attacks, according to Andhra Pradesh Police.Abubacker Siddique, successful his 50s, was arrested on with Mohammed Ali by the Tamil Nadu Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) earlier this week. Speaking to the media connected Saturday, Kurnool Range DIG Koya Praveen described Siddique arsenic a "big fish.""This chap (Siddique) is excessively large a food than what we had thought," Praveen told PTI. "He had travelled crossed the state and often visited Gulf nations. He operated arsenic a lone wolf, offering his bomb-making expertise to those who shared his extremist ideology."Links to Zakir Naik and erstwhile attacksPolice accidental Siddique was ideologically driven by the teachings of fugitive preacher Zakir Naik and had been acting independently, assisting others aligned with extremist ideologies. He is said to beryllium an adept successful manufacturing Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), timer-based bombs, and physics triggering mechanisms.Siddique is suspected of being progressive successful the bombing astatine the BJP bureau successful Malleshwaram, Bengaluru, arsenic good arsenic the 2011 pipe-bomb effort successful Madurai during BJP seasoned L K Advani's rath yatra.

Police are presently investigating his afloat web and past engagement successful terror-related cases.Explosive materials, Isis literature, and integer grounds seizedAuthorities person carried retired caller searches astatine the suspects' premises, recovering respective incriminating items. While nary unrecorded explosives were recovered during Saturday's search, constabulary seized documents and pen drives, adding to an already important cache of evidence.Earlier searches yielded:

Investigation continues into wider networkDIG Praveen confirmed that Siddique had settled successful Rayachoti successful caller years, but his operations look to person nationalist and planetary footprints.