The Anti-Terrorist Squad tonight arrested Faizal Atur Rehman Sheikh (27), who Crime Branch officials say heads the Lashkar-e-Toiba’s Mumbai operations. ATS officers are now investigating how involved he is in the serial blasts of Terrible Tuesday.

Faizal’s brother, Muzamil Atur Rehman Sheikh (22), a software programmer who used to work for an American software major in Bangalore, has also been arrested.

The brothers were picked up by the Crime Branch on last Friday, grilled since then and handed over to the ATS today.

‘‘Faizal not only heads the Mumbai module, he is very close to LeT commander Azam Cheema,’’ a Crime Branch officer told The Indian Express.

Sources said Faizal’s interrogation has revealed a connection between the Aurangabad LeT module busted by the ATS in May this year and the Mumbai module.

Faizal has told interrogators that he had sent Fayaz Kagdi—one of the key absconding operatives involved in the Aurangabad arms haul case—to Pakistan for training. And that it was Fayaz who had planted an explosive device containing 900 grams of RDX aboard the Karnavati Express, which exploded at Ahmedabad railway station on February 19.

Faizal is also believed to have been in regular touch with Grant Road resident and Lashkar operative Rahil Abdul Rehman Sheikh (23), another person allegedly involved in the Aurangabad arms haul case. Rahil supplied forged passports and documents to members of the module for travelling to Pakistan via Iran for terror training, officials said.

Sources said Faizal and his brother also used the Iran route to visit Pakistan for terror training.

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