Ricin bio terror plot: The Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested three people on November 8, including a doctor who earned his MBBS degree in China, for allegedly attempting to produce Ricin – a deadly chemical compound – to carry out a bio-terror attack. Gujarat ATS also conducted a search at the residence of Dr Ahmed Mohiuddin Saiyed’s flat in Rajendranagar and seized several unidentified chemicals and raw materials packed in cartons. These samples have been sent to a forensic laboratory for analysis, The Indian Express reported.
Investigators said the 35-year-old doctor had converted his apartment into a “workshop” to extract ricin. According to The Indian Express, he had not yet managed to isolate the toxin from castor beans nor decided on a method of dispersal before his arrest.
Who is Dr Ahmed Mohiuddin Saiyed?
Dr Saiyed, Gujarat ATS officials claimed, was part of a larger terror module and allegedly maintained contact with a handler identified as Abu Khadija, associated with the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (ISKP), TOI reported. Saiyed reportedly ran a shawarma business in Hyderabad’s Rajendranagar and is believed to have been radicalised through Telegram and other social media platforms.
Express further reported that he conducted a recce of multiple locations across India – the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh office in Lucknow, the Agriculture Produce Market Committee in Azadpur, Delhi and the fruit market in Naroda, Ahmedabad. Two of his aides, per the TOI report, 20-year-old Azad Suleman Sheikh and 23-year-old Mohammad Suhail Khan, were arrested from Uttar Pradesh.
Saiyed is unmarried and used to live alone in his flat in Asad Manzil in Fort View Colony in Rajendranagar. He was known to offer free consultations as a general physician and was not attached to any hospital or clinic, Express reported.
According to an officer quoted by The Indian Express, Dr Saiyed is the eldest of six siblings and hailed from Khammam. He had completed his schooling in Hanamkonda near Warangal.
The report also mentioned that when Gujarat ATS dialled Saiyed’s brother Umar Faruqui to inquire about him, they were told that he went to Gujarat to make a business deal. Police also leant that the family had questioned the parcels of chemicals he frequently received, to which he replied that he was developing a “commercial chemical product” that would make them wealthy.
Officials later examined his browser and ChatGPT histories, which detailed the chemicals he ordered and their sources.
How was the bio-terror plot busted?
The bio-terror plot came to light after the Gujarat ATS intercepted a silver Ford Figo near the Adalaj Toll Plaza on the Ahmedabad-Mehsana highway, driven by Dr Saiyed. Inside the vehicle, investigators recovered two Glock pistols, a Beretta pistol, 30 live cartridges, and around four litres of castor oil in a 10-litre plastic container, IE reported.
Saiyed and his two aides were arrested the same day. Their alleged handler, Abu Khadija, who operates from Afghanistan, has been declared wanted. All have been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, and the Arms Act.
What is Ricin?
Ricin is an extremely toxic protein extracted from castor beans. Even minute quantities can be lethal to humans. Castor plants are widely cultivated for castor oil production in countries such as India, Brazil, and China. The seeds typically contain 30-60 per cent oil, while the residual mash holds 1-5 per cent ricin.
The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) classifies ricin under Schedule 1 of the Chemical Weapons Convention, making its production and possession strictly prohibited.
According to a report by The Indian Express, citing Dr YK Gupta, former head of the National Poison Information Centre at AIIMS, New Delhi, as little as 1 mg of ricin, if mixed with food, can kill an adult.
“Once the poison binds with the ribosome, it stops protein synthesis in cells. And, depending on which cells absorb the poison, a person can suffer multi-organ failure and even death,” The Indian Express quoted Dr YK Gupta as saying.
What happens if someone accidentally swallows castor beans?
Dr Gupta, per the Express report, explained that swallowing intact castor beans generally causes no harm since the seed coat is hard. “However, Ricin may seep out if the seed is bitten into or cracked. When it comes to castor oil, the processing ensures that there is no ricin in it,” he said.
If ingested, ricin can cause severe vomiting, bloody diarrhoea, low blood pressure, hallucinations, seizures, multi-organ failure, and death. Inhalation can result in respiratory distress, chest tightness, and persistent coughing, IE further reported.
Riccin treatment
There is currently no specific antidote for ricin poisoning. Treatment is largely supportive and symptom-based. “If someone comes in early enough, then vomiting may be induced to remove the poison. The stomach may also be washed to do so. However, it is likely to have been absorbed by the time one reaches the hospital, in which case, the symptoms of the patient have to be managed,” the outlet further quoted Dr Gupta as saying.
