Cop running RAW, MQM-London terrorist network held

KARACHI: Another Sindh Police official was arrested in Karachi on Saturday for operating a major terrorist network through terrorist financing, recruiting and tasking terrorists, surveillance and reconnaissance of sensitive facilities allegedly on behalf of the Indian intelligence agency Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) and Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London.

The assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Syed Musawir Ali was arrested by Counter-Terrorism Wing of the Federal Investigation Agency. He was posted to Special Branch of the Sindh police and is being accused of a key member of a RAW sleeper cell and running a large terrorist and surveillance network. He was serving in the surveillance unit of the Jinnah International Airport, Karachi which he used to facilitate terrorists' travel from the Karachi airport. According to officials, the suspect who had joined the Sindh police force in 1991 was provided funds on the directives of the MQM leader Mehmood Siddiqui, former APMSO. Ali had also visited to India for training in 2008. Associated with the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-London, he is accused of being involved in target killings and terrorism.

Earlier last month, another police officer ASI Shahzad Pervez posted to Sharae Faisal police station was also arrested by Special Investigation Unit of the Karach police during a raid in Gulistan-e-Jauhar area. Two hand grenades were also recovered from his possession. He was also affiliated with MQM-L and was found involved in conducting various terrorist activities for MQM-L and RAW in Karachi.

Following their leads, about half of a dozen suspected members of the RAW linked with the MQM-L have been arrested by the law enforcers while separate Joint Investigation Teams have also been formed to further investigate the cases and to break the nexus of the group operating in Karachi. These arrests have come a little over two months after the city police chief claimed on March 19, to have foiled a major potential terrorism plot after they busted a local RAW network operated by militants affiliated with the MQM-L. The Karachi Police Chief, Addl IGP, Ghulam Nabi Memon had spoken about reports of RAW inspired terrorism in Karachi and that the MQM-L was running the intelligence agency’s local network. Memon had warned of the likelihood of the MQM-L- RAW carrying out a major terror activity in the metropolis at any time.

“We have traced several leads and found the ringleader of the RAW network in Karachi who also happens to be an MQM-L terrorist and had received militancy training in India,” Memon said while addressing a news conference at the Karachi Police Office on Saturday. “This ringleader was involved in terrorism here with his MQM-L militants on the directives of RAW. He was in direct communication with Mehmood Siddiqui,” he said. This terrorist cell was also coordinating its actions with the MQM-L’s notorious terrorist Safdar Baqri in Canada, Memon said.

The city police chief said this group acted like a nucleus for RAW was tasked by RAW to provide funds to different terrorist groups in Karachi for carrying out terror activities. They also provided bombs, explosives and firearms to different terrorists. This terrorist group also conducted reconnaissance missions on behalf of RAW to gathering critical information through surveillance of city’s sensitive installations, including those of security and intelligence agencies.

Memon said they conducted serious and painstaking work to investigate and trace their revenue channels and multiple transactions from and to different sources. The Addl IG said the group also provided RAW’s special funds to Khalid Shamim, a prime suspect in the Imran Farooq murder case, adding that their bank transactions were traced. The city police chief said the SIU was tasked with finding and arresting the suspects, adding that the officials conducted raids in different parts of the city, including Gulistan-e-Jauhar, Federal B Area and Korangi, and arrested Shahid, alias Muttahida, an MQM-L militant heading RAW’s operations in Karachi, and two of his accomplices, namely Majid and Adil Ansari. He said they have recommended cash reward for the SIU team for saving Karachi from carnage.

Memon said that since the group was also involved in financing terrorism, the government has been asked to form a joint investigation team to trace the seemingly large network. He also claimed the raiding party to have recovered a large cache of weapons and ammunition, including hand grenades and rocket launchers, as well as fuses and electronic detonators.