IS-inspired module planned Boston Marathon-style bombing using remote controled toy cars

NEW DELHI: Investigation into an IS-inspired terror module has revealed that the suspects planned to use the remote control mechanism of ‘toy cars’ to trigger improvised explosive devices (IEDs), rather than turning the cars themselves into bombs, a senior police officer said.

The remote control of the RC cars was meant to function as the detonator, while the car’s internal circuit would be connected to the IED.

While a RC car has been seized from the suspects in Mumbai, the special cell has also recovered an actual detonator device and some chemicals like Sulphur from Rizwan, who was the member of the second module.

Terror outfits have used the ‘toy car’ modus operandi in attacks across the world. The bombs that exploded during the 2013 Boston Marathon were detonated using a remote device similar to those used to control toy cars, with instructions circulated through al-Qaida’s online magazine Inspire, sources said.

In the same year, UK police arrested two suspects who had discussed sending a remote-controlled toy car loaded with explosives through the gate of a Territorial Army base. Investigators had then recovered a manual titled ‘Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom’ and issues of Inspire magazine.

Islamic State has also been known to deploy ‘toy cars’ in combat zones. In 2015, Kurdish forces in Syria and Iraq reportedly recovered such a device after it failed to explode.

Now, Delhi Police are digging deeper into the Telegram-based module. Following arrests in Maharashtra, raids are underway in Madhya Pradesh and other states to identify and apprehend remaining members of the two groups.

The two accused, Mossab Ahmad alias Kalam and Hamad Siddiqui, who were arrested in Mumbai, have been brought to Delhi for interrogation. A police team has also visited Mossab’s hometown in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh. Their mobile phones and electronic devices have been seized. Both were produced in court and remanded to police custody.

Investigators said the accused had initially named their Telegram groups “Saviour Mehdi” and “Bomb Squad”, later changing the names. During questioning, they allegedly told police that their handler had shared online tutorials and DIY videos explaining how RC cars and controllers communicate wirelessly using radio waves.

The handler, identified as Abu Huzaifa, is believed to be associated with Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) while posing as an ISIS recruiter on Telegram and other online platforms. He allegedly sent the tutorials through groups named “Mission Khilafat” and “Soldiers of Jihad”.

A senior officer said the suspects were intercepted at an early stage of planning. “A few minors have also been identified. They will be counselled and possibly deradicalised,” the officer added.