On Monday, police in the northwest Indian state of Gujarat revealed the details of what appears to be a foiled Islamic State-inspired bioterrorism plot. In this incident, Gujarat's Anti-Terrorism Squad intercepted a silver hatchback near a highway toll plaza. In addition to multiple handguns, police recovered 4 kilograms of castor-bean mash—the toxic residue from which ricin, a lethal poison, is extracted.
Ricin is among the world’s deadliest toxins. India produces over 80% of global castor oil, leaving vast quantities of mash as waste. Just milligrams can kill via organ failure, with no antidote; treatment is supportive only.
The driver, Ahmed Saiyed, a 35-year-old Hyderabad-based medical doctor and surgeon trained in China, allegedly planned to weaponize the mash to contaminate food markets in Delhi, Ahmedabad, and Lucknow, as well as government offices and a temple.
Classified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as a Category B bioterrorism agent and listed under Schedule 1 of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC), ricin is a typical ‘bio-chemical toxin’ well-known for its high toxicity and low technical barrier for crude extraction from castor beans. Regulatory oversight on ricin control remains strict. Under the CWC, it has no legitimate large-scale use outside of research or defense.
Investigations revealed the suspect doctor's radicalization through Islamic state Khorasan propaganda via a handler in Afghanistan. He converted his home into a ricin lab, sourcing seeds from his former restaurant supply chain. Two accomplices have also been arrested.
This incident marks a rare case of professional radicalization merging medical knowledge with terrorism. The plot echoes past ricin incidents, like 2013 poison-laced letters sent to U.S. President Obama. With castor cultivation dominant in the Gujarat and Rajasthan states, the raw materials are easily accessible. The Anti-Terrorism Squad, backed by India's intelligence agencies, prevented what could have been India’s first major bioterrorism incident.
Between 1978 and 2025, over 40 ricin-related plots or incidents have been documented worldwide. Although none have yet resulted in mass casualties, ricin’s frequent selection in terror plots underscores its significant psychological impact, symbolic resonance, and relative accessibility—qualities that continue to pose a credible and evolving threat as a potential weapon of mass destruction.
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