NIA Nabs Two Linked to ISIS at Mumbai Airport in Pune IED Case

NIA: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken into custody two wanted individuals who were part of a sleeper cell of the outlawed terrorist group ISIS. The NIA stated that the arrests relate to a 2023 case involving the manufacturing and testing of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Pune, Maharashtra.

Agency Response:

In its official press release, the NIA stated that Talha Khan and Abdullah Faiyaz Shaikh Diaperwala had attempted to return to India from Jakarta, Indonesia, where they had been hiding. The Bureau of Immigration stopped them at Mumbai International Airport (T2). After which, the NIA team detained and arrested them. The NIA had previously offered a financial reward of ₹3 lakh each for information leading to the arrest of the two offenders. The NIA Special Court in Mumbai issued non-bailable warrants against both, who had evaded arrest for over two years.

Case Details:

These men were part of a criminal conspiracy, and authorities have already detained eight other members of the ISIS Pune sleeper cell. According to an official press release by the NIA, the accused had conspired to carry out terrorist acts aimed at disturbing India’s peace. Moreover, it aimed for communal harmony by waging war against India. Their actions were intended to advance ISIS’s agenda of establishing Islamic rule in the country through violence and terror. Both men, along with the second arrested suspect, have already been charge-sheeted. They were involved in assembling IEDs at a rented house in Kondhwa, Pune, taken by Abdullah Faiyaz Shaikh.

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NIA Arrests 2 Absconders in ISIS Pune Sleeper Module Case from Mumbai Airport pic.twitter.com/B6q5iVOcTD

— NIA India (@NIA_India) May 17, 2025

The NIA is actively investigating this case as part of its broader efforts to dismantle ISIS-related operations in India. Apart from that, prevent the group’s deadly, anti-national terror plots. Authorities have filed charges under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). Like the Explosive Substances Act, the Arms Act, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).