Two suspects were apprehended at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport on Friday after their flight from Indonesia was processed by immigration officials. They were identified as Abdullah Faiyaz Shaikh—known by the alias Diaperwala—and Talha Khan, both of whom were sought in connection with a 2023 Pune IED investigation that had been designated the “Pune ISIS module case.”
Once detained, the suspects were transferred into the custody of the National Investigation Agency, and their presence was produced before a special NIA court, where a ten-day remand order was obtained. Rewards of ₹3 lakh each had been announced for information leading to their arrest, and non-bailable warrants had been issued after they had remained at large for over two years.
It was stated by the agency that these detentions were reflective of ISIS’s broader plan to embed local cells in various Indian regions. Mention was made of eight other alleged conspirators—among them Mohammed Imran Khan, Mohammed Yunus Saki, and Abdul Kadir Pathan—who had already been arrested and were under judicial supervision. Evidence was presented indicating that Shaikh’s rented residence in Pune’s Kondhwa suburb had been utilized for the assembly of improvised explosive devices. A bomb-making workshop was reported to have been organized during 2022–23, and a controlled explosion was carried out in the jungles on Pune’s outskirts to validate the effectiveness of a fabricated device.
It was emphasized that these actions were undertaken with the intention of disturbing the peace and communal harmony of the nation, and that they were in furtherance of an ISIS agenda to establish Islamic rule within India. Legal proceedings were being advanced against the detained individuals, and further interrogation was being conducted to determine the extent of their network and any additional accomplices. Strict security measures were being maintained around the airport and judicial facilities as the case progressed.
Investigations were being coordinated across state and central agencies to investigate whether additional sleeper modules were active, and to ensure that any latent threats could be neutralized. Heightened vigilance was being recommended at major transit points, and collaboration between law enforcement bodies was being reinforced to counter the expansion of such terror cells. By Friday night, security protocols had been reviewed and strengthened, and public advisories were being issued to report any suspicious activity. The successful interception was being hailed as a significant step in disrupting potential terror operations and safeguarding national security.