Plan to attack consulates: Extradition process of Lankan begins

The extradition process of a Sri Lankan national, arrested in Malaysia for alleged conspiracy to carry out terror strikes on the US and Israeli consulates in South India, has begun with India approaching Interpol for issuing an Red Corner notice against the accused.

Mohammad Hossaini, who was arrested by Malaysian police in Kepong near Kuala Lumpur a fortnight ago, is wanted in India for allegedly hatching a conspiracy for carrying out strikes on the US Consulate in Chennai and Israeli Consulate in Bangalore. 

Tamil Nadu Police had secured a non-bailable arrest warrant against Hossaini which was sent through diplomatic channels to France-based Interpol headquarters for issuance of Red Corner Notice, official sources said.

In the meantime, a provisional request has been sent to Malaysia for sharing the interrogation report of Hossaini so that other leads in the probe could be followed.

According to the sources, Hossaini told the Malaysian police that he had received instructions to assist two men in the attacks on the US and Israeli consulates in Chennai and Bangalore.

Malaysia had tipped Intelligence Bureau about an alleged conspiracy being hatched from Sri Lanka about carrying an attack on US and Israeli consulates in Chennai and Bangalore in which a Lankan national Sakir Hussain was identified.

The leads in the case surfaced when Malaysian authorities were probing money laundering and human trafficking cases. Hussain was alleged to be talking to ISI officers and allegedly planning to carry out terror strikes on the two consulates. 

The arrests by the Malaysian authorities was a follow up of nabbing of Hussain and his subsequent interrogation which was shared with agencies in Kuala Lumpur and Colombo.

Hussain told his interrogators that he had been hired allegedly by an official in Pakistani High Commission in Colombo to conduct reconnaissance of US Consulate in Chennai and Israeli Consulate in Bangalore.

Hussain, who was arrested on April 29 in a coordinated operation involving various countries including Malaysia and Sri Lanka, reportedly told the interrogators that the Pakistan's spy agency ISI was planning to send two men from Maldives to Chennai and that he had to arrange for their travel documents and hideouts in Chennai and Bangalore.