PAKISTAN: Suspects arrested as Pakistan admits some involvement in Mumbai terror attcks

Record ID: 353833

  • Title: PAKISTAN: Suspects arrested as Pakistan admits some involvement in Mumbai terror attcks
  • Date: 13th February 2009
  • Summary: ISLAMABAD, PAKISTAN (FEBRUARY 12, 2009) (REUTERS) INTERIOR MINISTRY BUILDING REHMAN MALIK, ADVISOR TO THE PRIME MINISTER ON INTERIOR, ARRIVING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE REPORTERS NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (English) REHMAN MALIK, ADVISOR TO THE PRIME MINISTER ON INTERIOR, SAYING: "We have now two portions of the investigation. One is in India and one is in Pakistan. Crime to
  • Embargoed: 28th February 2009 12:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Pakistan
  • Country: Pakistan
  • Topics: Crime / Law Enforcement,International Relations
  • Reuters ID: LVA5OES59PVN9KBHOM4B0CZ5I8QQ
  • Story Text: Security forces have arrested the alleged ringleader and five others believed to have been involved in the conspiracy behind the militant attacks that killed 179 people in Mumbai, a senior Pakistani interior ministry official said on Thursday (February 12).
    Rehman Malik, advisor to the prime minister on the interior, told a news conference that the gunmen had sailed from Karachi, and that at least part of the conspiracy had been organised in Pakistan.
    "We have now two portions of the investigation. One is in India and one is in Pakistan," Malik said.
    "Some part of the conspiracy has taken place in Pakistan, and all those, according to the available information, most of them are in our custody," he added.
    Malik said six suspects were in custody and two more had been identified but were still at large. The findings were being shared with India's High Commission in Islamabad, he said.
    Tensions have been running high between India and Pakistan since the attack by 10 gunmen on India's financial capital last November, though fears of a conflict between the nuclear-armed neighbours has receded in recent weeks.
    Tracing telephone calls and bank transfers had led to the capture of Hammad Amin Sadiq who, Malik said, was "the main operator," adding that his interrogation led to the raid on two hideouts, one in the port city, and one two hours outside Mumbai.
    "We have located those locations which were used by the terrorists before launching themselves. They had some kind of training, they went into ocean twice and some of the accused who have been arrested, they have given us the full rundown,"
    Malik said.
    Malik said the breakthrough in the investigation had resulted from tracing the fishing vessel used by the militants, purchases of equipment like life jackets and the engine for the rubber dinghy that militants used to get to shore in Mumbai.
    Two of the suspects held in custody were identified as Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi, and Zarar Shah, two members of the Lashkar-e-Taiba jihadi group that India has blamed for the attack.
    Two other men were identified as Khan and Riaz. Their full names have been withheld so as not to compromise the investigation, authorities said.
    One of those arrested, identified as Javed Iqbal, was lured back to Pakistan from the Spanish city of Barcelona, Malik said.
    The investigation revealed several leads that could need to be followed up with international help.
    "Fact remains that it's not only Pakistan but system of other countries has also been used. As I said earlier, the telephone SIMs from Austria, the web service, the payment from Spain and the payment in Italy and the domain name is in Houston. And therefore we will be requesting, through Interpol, the FBI to help us because it is also a good piece of evidence," Malik said.
    He said that investigators had been unable to confirm the identities of the nine gunmen killed in the attack, though Pakistan has confirmed that Mohammad Ajmal Kasab, the gunman captured alive, was a Pakistani.
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