Andhra Police Identify Arrested Terrorist Influenced by Zakir Naik as Key Bomb-Making Expert

The Andhra Pradesh Police revealed on Saturday that one of the two terror suspects recently arrested in Tamil Nadu is a major figure with advanced bomb-making skills.

Abubacker Siddique and his accomplice Mohammed Ali were taken into custody earlier this month. Siddique is believed to be involved in the 2011 pipe-bomb attempt during BJP leader LK Advani’s rath yatra in Madurai, Tamil Nadu.

Kurnool Range Deputy Inspector General of Police, Koya Praveen, told PTI that Siddique is a “big fish” who traveled extensively across India and frequently visited the Gulf. Influenced by the radical preacher Zakir Naik, Siddique is described as a lone wolf driven by extremist ideology.

“He is an expert in making IEDs, electronic devices, and timer-based explosives,” Praveen said.

Police recently conducted another search at the suspects’ locations but did not find any explosives. However, they seized documents and pen drives.

Earlier, the police had already found a worrying stash of weapons and bomb-making materials — daggers, sickles, digital timers, clock switches, ball bearings, and more. They also uncovered gadgets like binoculars and walkie-talkies, along with hacking software, maps of major Indian cities, and manuals for coding.

What’s more, they discovered ISIS-inspired literature, property documents, digital storage devices, cheque books, and financial records linked to suspicious transactions. It paints a picture of a well-organized and dangerous operation with ties to radical groups.