Three men involved in major terror cases have been arrested after being on the run for nearly 30 years, said Tamil Nadu DGP Shankar Jiwal.The suspects—Abubacker Siddique, Mohammed Ali, and Sadiq (also known as Tailor Raja)—were wanted in connection with the 1998 Coimbatore serial blasts and the 2013 Malleswaram bomb blast in Bengaluru. The Coimbatore blasts killed 58 people and injured over 250.
Police launched two special operations—”Operation Aram” and “Operation Agazhi”—that went on for six months across Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, and Karnataka.
Siddique and Ali were arrested in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh, while Sadiq was caught in Vijayapura, Karnataka, on July 9.
All three had been living under false names and running small businesses like tailoring, grocery, and real estate to hide their identities. Siddique was found to be skilled in making improvised bombs.
Police confirmed their identities through intelligence and technical methods. While Siddique and Ali did not appear to have links with banned groups, Sadiq is suspected to be part of the banned Al-Umma outfit.
Further investigations are underway to find out if they had international links or more hidden accomplices.