Mumbai Police on Saturday said they had averted a major tragedy after foiling an alleged plot to target people participating in a Muharram procession in the city. Police arrested a man accused of planning to distribute capsules allegedly containing zinc phosphide, a highly toxic poison, among devotees attending the religious gathering.
According to officials, the timely intervention prevented what could have been a mass casualty incident, as thousands of people had assembled for the Muharram procession.
Addressing the media, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Central Region, Zone 1) Jayant Meena said the accused was apprehended after police received information during the procession that a man was distributing what appeared to be medicinal capsules.
During the operation, police recovered the suspect's Aadhaar and passport documents and seized around 14,900 capsules allegedly filled with zinc phosphide. Investigators said the capsules had not yet been distributed, enabling police to stop the alleged plan before it could be executed.
Officials further revealed that one individual, identified as Salman Saiyed, reportedly fell ill after consuming one of the capsules, prompting an immediate investigation that led to the suspect's arrest.
The accused has been identified as Faiyaz Premji, a resident of Viman Nagar in Pune. According to police, he holds a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA) degree and operates a paint business.
Investigators said Premji had rented accommodation in Mumbai's Dongri area around 15 days ago. During the probe, police also discovered that he had travelled to Iran and Iraq in 2025. Authorities are currently verifying the purpose of those visits as part of the ongoing investigation.
Police alleged that the accused had ordered nearly 50 kilograms of zinc phosphide and intended to fill capsules with approximately one gram of the toxic substance each. Investigators believe the capsules were meant to be distributed among participants of the Muharram procession, where nearly 30,000 people had gathered.
Officials said the seizure of the capsules before their distribution prevented a potentially catastrophic incident. The investigation is continuing to determine the motive behind the alleged plot, identify any possible accomplices, and verify whether the accused had links to any larger network.
Police said further questioning of the accused is underway, and additional forensic examinations are being conducted on the seized capsules and other evidence recovered during the operation.
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