A detailed investigation has revealed new insights into the case involving Dr Ahmed Mohiuddin Saiyed, identified as the primary accused in the Ricin-based bio-terror plot uncovered earlier this month by the Gujarat Anti-Terror Squad (ATS).

The report states that Dr Mohiuddin wanted to become rich by selling the lethal poison Ricin, a motive that remained hidden until his arrest. On 8th November, the ATS arrested him along with two associates — Azad Suleman Sheikh and Mohammad Suhail Mohammad Saleem Khan — in Banaskantha, Gujarat.

His brother Farooqui later informed the police that whenever he questioned the frequent deliveries arriving at the flat, Mohiuddin used to say that he was making a medicine which would make the entire family rich. This simple claim concealed the real purpose behind those parcels.

Dr Mohiuddin was practising as a general physician and lived alone in a flat located in the five-storey Asad Manzil apartment building in Fort View Colony, Rajendranagar, Hyderabad. He had completed his MBBS degree in China and often provided free online consultations. The investigation further established his connection with Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI, a link confirmed by Gujarat ATS DIG Sunil Joshi. His two associates were from Uttar Pradesh — 20-year-old tailor Azad Suleman from Shamli and 23-year-old student Suhail from Lakhimpur Kheri. During the search of Suhail’s residence, ATS officers seized ISIS literature and flags. All three men were booked under the Arms Act, the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA).

According to reports, after these arrests, the ATS discovered that the group belonged to a terror module that planned a large-scale chemical attack using Ricin. Investigators found that Dr Mohiuddin was being instructed by his foreign handler, Abu Khadija, who is connected to ISKP and is based in Afghanistan. Officials also stated that “ATS found evidence of social media chats between Moinuddin and his handler and searches on ChatGPT for methods of making dangerous chemicals”.

The inquiry further showed that Azad and Suhail had delivered a bag of weapons to Dr Mohiuddin under the direction of a handler based in Pakistan. Azad had previously travelled to Baramulla in Jammu and Kashmir intending to carry out a terror attack but returned to Delhi after failing to find any targets. From Delhi, he went to Haridwar where he conducted reconnaissance of major temples. During interrogation, the three accused revealed that they planned to extract Ricin from castor seeds but had not yet decided on how to use it.

Even minimal 2000 micrograms of Ricin can easily turn fatal for any human being: Professor Kharwar

The report also mentions that Ricin has been involved in nearly 40 major global conspiracies between 1978 and 2025, although no confirmed cases of its use have been reported in India so far. Terror groups linked to ISIS have frequently used this toxin, which is why agencies are also investigating possible links to ISKP and ISHP modules operating within the country.

Chemical expert Anand Asthana explained that Ricin is an extremely dangerous poison obtained by refining small castor seeds. According to him, the toxin appears as a white powder, and the finer it is ground, the more lethal it becomes. He stated that if Ricin powder is dispersed in a dusty location, it can easily affect a large population. Its effects may take two to three days to appear but can eventually lead to death. There is no antidote, increasing the fatal risk once exposure occurs.

Asthana added that Ricin dissolves in water and can be injected directly into the bloodstream using a syringe. When consumed through contaminated water, symptoms appear within hours, while injection results in immediate absorption into the blood.

Earliest recorded instance of Ricin dates back to the wartime era of WWII

The toxic substance Ricin was first identified in 1888 by German scientist Peter Hermann Stillmark. Considered more dangerous than cyanide, Ricin was reportedly used by the German military during the Second World War. Various international security agencies classify it as a Category B bioterrorism agent. The United Nations prohibits the production and storage of such biotoxins under its resolutions, and in India, the Weapons of Mass Destruction Act of 2005 strictly bans the possession or manufacture of Ricin and similar chemicals.