Police nab Abu Hamza, alleged 26/11 terrorist handler

The Delhi police claim they have nabbed one of the handlers of the gunmen who participated in the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai. Abu Hamza, identified as one of the persons who reportedly gave instructions to the gunmen involved in the Mumbai terror strikes on 26 November, 2008, has been arrested. Syed Zabiudin, who allegedly goes by the alias Abu Hamza, was reportedly nabbed by the special cell of the Delhi police at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, CNN IBN reported. The channel reported that he had been arrested on 21 June when he landed in India. Times Now said that Jabiudin, who is reportedly from originally from Beed district in Maharashtra, had been deported from Saudi Arabia and was nabbed when he landed in India. He was initially arrested on charges of possessing a fake passport but will be taken to locations like Mumbai and Bangalore for further questioning by police authorities there, NDTV reported. [caption id=“attachment_355668” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“AFP”]  [/caption] Zabiudin has been accused of being involved in the training of the gunmen who participated in the Mumbai terror strikes, and also speaking with them to motivate them as they held pitched gun battles with security forces in locations like Chabad House and hotels like the Taj and Oberoi. According to the officials associated with the probe, Ansari had told the gunmen carrying out attack in Chabad House to convey to the media that the “attack was a trailer and the entire movie was yet to come”. The voice was that of Hamza and after this his activities were traced before he was finally nabbed, according to officials. In the intercepted calls, he was also heard using typical Hindi words like “prashasan” (government) and was directing the terrorists to conceal their Pakistani identity and identify themselves from Deccan Mujahideen hailing from Toli Chowk in Hyderabad. Over 180 persons were killed in the terror strikes in Mumbai. The name Abu Hamza also featured in the charge sheet filed against Mohammed Ajmal Kasab, the sole gunman nabbed for his involvement in the terror strikes. He was listed as a wanted accused in the case. Kasab, in his deposition before a special court, said that one person by the name of Abu Jindal had tutored 10 terrorists on how to speak Hindi and it is suspected to an alias used. Hamza’s name also featured in the list of names given by Indian authorities to their Pakistani counterparts in connection with the case along with others like Jamat-ud-Dawa head Hafiz Saeed and Lashkar-e-Taiba head Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi. Zabiudin is also accused of being involved in the 2005 shooting at the Indian Institute of Science in which one person was killed and also was involved in the 2006 Maharashtra arms haul in which 21 persons have been arrested. After the 2006 operation he reportedly fled to Pakistan and reportedly assisted in planning and executing the 2008 terror strikes in Mumbai and was reportedly present in a ‘control room’ set up in Karachi from where instructions were given to the gunmen. The Interpol had issued a red corner notice for Abu Hamza after Indian authorities had given details. Investigating agencies believe he could be a crucial link in getting evidence against JuD’s Hafiz Saeed, who is presently facing trial in Pakistan for his alleged involvement in the 2008 attacks, and the operations of terror groups that are present in India.