NEW DELHI, August 17: India’s National Investigation Agency (NIA) has sent a request to the Malaysian authorities seeking information under the Mutual Legal Assistance Treaty on a Sri Lankan national who revealed after his arrest a conspiracy hatched by Pakistan’s external spying outfit Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) to target the United States Consulate in Chennai in Tamil Nadu and the Israeli mission in Bangalore in Karnataka.
"At this stage, we do not know much about the Sri Lankan national, Mohamed Hussain Mohamed Sulaiman. Before asking for his extradition, we need to have a sound case against him," said a senior NIA official.
A red-corner notice has already been issued against him through the Interpol, he added.
The NIA may soon initiate efforts to quiz the suspect to gather more details on the conspiracy.
The plot was unearthed after the Malaysian authorities tipped off India’s Intelligence Bureau (IB), the domestic intelligence network. The Tamil Nadu Police initially arrested another Sri Lankan national Zakir Hussain on April 29 this year. During interrogation, he purportedly disclosed that, apart from running a counterfeit currency racket, he was also part of the conspiracy to carry out attacks at the US and Israeli consulates in southern India.
The accused revealed the name of his handler as Amir Zubair Siddique, an official at the Pakistan High Commission in Colombo. Pakistan refuted the charges, but Siddique has been pulled out after his cover was blown by India’s NIA.
The module had also conducted reconnaissance of the two consulates to plan the "suicide" attacks that were to be carried out by two persons who, as planned, were to sneak in through the sea route from the Maldives. "The photographs of the probable targets were found stored in a laptop seized from Zakir Hussain."
Along with Zakir Hussain, the Tamil Nadu Police had also arrested Mohammed Salim and another Sri Lankan national named Sivabalan for their alleged role in the counterfeit currency racket. "Hussain dealt in fake notes to generate funds for terror activities," said the official.
Indian agencies have shared details of the findings with the US and Israeli missions. The Sri Lankan authorities have also been briefed on the developments in the case.
"At this stage, we do not know much about the Sri Lankan national, Mohamed Hussain Mohamed Sulaiman. Before asking for his extradition, we need to have a sound case against him," said a senior NIA official.
A red-corner notice has already been issued against him through the Interpol, he added.
The NIA may soon initiate efforts to quiz the suspect to gather more details on the conspiracy.
The plot was unearthed after the Malaysian authorities tipped off India’s Intelligence Bureau (IB), the domestic intelligence network. The Tamil Nadu Police initially arrested another Sri Lankan national Zakir Hussain on April 29 this year. During interrogation, he purportedly disclosed that, apart from running a counterfeit currency racket, he was also part of the conspiracy to carry out attacks at the US and Israeli consulates in southern India.
The accused revealed the name of his handler as Amir Zubair Siddique, an official at the Pakistan High Commission in Colombo. Pakistan refuted the charges, but Siddique has been pulled out after his cover was blown by India’s NIA.
The module had also conducted reconnaissance of the two consulates to plan the "suicide" attacks that were to be carried out by two persons who, as planned, were to sneak in through the sea route from the Maldives. "The photographs of the probable targets were found stored in a laptop seized from Zakir Hussain."
Along with Zakir Hussain, the Tamil Nadu Police had also arrested Mohammed Salim and another Sri Lankan national named Sivabalan for their alleged role in the counterfeit currency racket. "Hussain dealt in fake notes to generate funds for terror activities," said the official.
Indian agencies have shared details of the findings with the US and Israeli missions. The Sri Lankan authorities have also been briefed on the developments in the case.