In a major breakthrough, the Special Cell of Delhi Police has arrested Shabir Ahmed Lone, a suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) handler, from the Ghazipur area of Delhi on the night of March 29, officials said on Monday. Lone, also known by the aliases Raja and Kashmiri, is a resident of Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir and was allegedly directing a recently uncovered module involved in pasting anti-national posters across Delhi and Kolkata.

Authorities described Lone as a “hardcore and highly trained terrorist” with links to handlers operating on behalf of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). According to a senior police officer, Lone’s arrest is connected to the metro poster case unearthed on February 22, which had raised security concerns due to its potential operational implications.

During the arrest, police recovered multiple foreign currencies and other incriminating material from Lone’s possession, including approximately 2,300 Bangladeshi Taka, 1,400 Nepalese currency notes, 5,000 Pakistani currency units, and 3,000 Indian rupees. A Nepalese SIM card was also seized, suggesting potential cross-border communication and operational coordination.

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Lone has a history of involvement in terror activities. He was previously arrested in 2007 by the Special Cell, when an AK-47 rifle and a hand grenade were recovered from his possession, and again in 2015 in Srinagar. He is reportedly a highly trained operative who underwent both basic and advanced terror training – “Daura-e-Aam” and “Daura-e-Khaas” – at a Lashkar-e-Taiba camp in Muzaffarabad, Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.

Officials said that after his earlier arrests, Lone fled to Bangladesh and rebuilt a terror network targeting India. From Bangladesh, he reportedly coordinated with new handlers using code names Abu Huzaifa and Sumama Babar and facilitated sleeper cells and recruitment for operations in India. Investigations revealed that he had also established an operational base in Kolkata, which served as a launching pad for anti-national activities across multiple states.

Police added that Lone’s network conducted reconnaissance of sensitive locations, including temples and high-footfall public areas, and shared videos with handlers in Pakistan. Officers are interrogating him to uncover other associates, financial links, and potential targets. “The arrest of Lone marks a significant breakthrough in the ongoing investigation into the metro poster case,” the officer said, highlighting the importance of the capture in preventing further terror-related activities.

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