ISIS terror plot: India was shaken after the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) announced on Sunday that it had arrested three men with alleged terror links, including a doctor said to hold a Chinese medical degree. The ATS says the plot involved the production of ricin, a deadly toxin listed among internationally controlled chemical and biological agents. Reports indicate the suspects were involved in plans to develop a biological weapon. The authorities foiled a major terrorist conspiracy linked to the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), an ISIS affiliate.
So what is ricin, and just how dangerous would it be if produced?
What is Ricin, ‘toxic substance listed under Schedule 1 of Chemical Weapons Convention
ISIS terror plot: Ricin is extracted from Castor beans (Ricinus communis). Ricin is concentrated from the waste mash after extracting castor oil. It is considered to be highly toxic to humans, even in minor doses. According to various reports, there is no special medicine to cure ricin poisoning. Doctors can only give treatment to relieve symptoms and support the body, such as providing fluids, oxygen, or other care to help the patient survive.
According to the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), Ricin is also listed under Schedule 1 of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
Ricin can kill people if it is swallowed or injected. However, it doesn’t easily enter the body through the skin. It’s also hard to spread on a large scale as heat can destroy it, and it mixes or weakens in water.
Ricin-laced letter to Barack Obama and Donald Trump
According to news reports, letters laced with the toxic powder were allegedly sent to two US Presidents — Barack Obama in 2013 and Donald Trump in 2020. However, these were reportedly found at the mail sorting stage.
Terror Plot- Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested three men
Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) recovered arms and ammunition, alleged to have been smuggled from Pakistan, from one of the suspects. According to the ATS, they recovered three pistols, 30 live cartridges and nearly four litres of castor oil from them. He is believed to have links with the banned terrorist group Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP).
Terror Plot- Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) arrested Dr Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed
ATS said that it arrested 36-year-old Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyed, a resident of Rajendranagar in Hyderabad, from Kalol in Gandhinagar district. “Saiyed was involved in a conspiracy to carry out a terrorist attack in India and, as part of executing this conspiracy, had arrived in Ahmedabad,”ATS said in a statement, adding he was preparing ricin, a lethal poison, for use. Saiyed had studied medicine in China. According to a senior ATS officer, the accused had allegedly surveyed several sensitive locations in Lucknow, Delhi, and Ahmedabad as part of a plan to carry out a terror attack in the country.
