The Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) of the Mumbai Police in collaboration with the Kutch police has busted a sleeper cell of Pakistan-based militant outfit Al- Badr that was operating from the Bhendi Bazaar area of Mumbai since last year.

The ATS arrested prime operative Mohammed Salim Memon alias Salim Malai (49) and two other local operatives on Sunday night from different parts of the city. Preliminary investigations have revealed that Memon is a Pakistani national and had been staying illegally in the Bhendi Bazaar area for more than 30 years, said Kutch Police (Special Operations Group) P I Dilip Agrawat.

Memon was first arrested on May 8 by the ATS from Nagpada area while in possession of 30 fake credit cards which he was attempting to sell to unsuspecting people. He was released on bail later. The ATS says it will now reinvestigate the case as it could be linked to the terror module busted by the Kutch Police.

The ATS handed over the custody of Memon and the two other operatives — Sultan Ansari (33) of Nagpada and Irfan Lakhani of Mumbra — to the Kutch police for further investigations.

“Salim is a prize catch and it would not have been possible without the Mumbai ATS’s help. He (Salim) is the link not only between the Kutch cell but also the Hyderabad cell. Through him we are now trying to establish the extent of involvement of the Hyderabad cell, which is also part of the Al-Badr module busted by us,” said SP, Kutch, Gyanendrasingh Mallik.

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