“To eke out a livelihood, Saiyed was operating a shawarma centre near his house. Some reports also suggest that he offered online medical consultations, but that is yet to be verified,” an intelligence official said.
According to intelligence sources, Saiyed earned his MBBS degree from a university in China but was unable to qualify the FMGE — a mandatory screening test for Indian nationals who study medicine abroad before they can practice in India.
“To eke out a livelihood, Saiyed was operating a shawarma centre near his house. Some reports also suggest that he offered online medical consultations, but that is yet to be verified,” an intelligence official said.
Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Telangana’s Counter Intelligenc
(CI) Cell on Wednesday searched Saiyed’s residence in Rajendranagar and seized castor seeds and chemicals allegedly procured for the preparation of ricin, a highly lethal compound.
The ATS team recovered a stock of castor seeds, traces of castor bean cake, an electric grinder-cum-oil seed press, and various solvents.
“Saiyed procured castor seeds locally. Some of the chemicals he ordered online in small quantities, while others were purchased from local shops,” a police source familiar with the search said. The Gujarat team left the city on Wednesday night with the seized material for further analysis.
# Ricin Poison Terror Plot Busted: Hyderabad Doctor's China Degree, FMGE Flop, and Shawarma Side Hustle – The Chilling Backstory
**Posted on November 14, 2025 |
In a plot straight out of a spy thriller, Gujarat's Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) has foiled a sinister scheme to weaponize ricin – one of the deadliest natural toxins known to man – thanks to a Hyderabad doctor whose dreams of healing took a dark detour into terror. Dr. Ahmed Mohiyuddin Saiyyad, a 35-year-old MBBS grad from China, couldn't crack India's rigorous Foreign Medical Graduate Examination (FMGE), so he flipped shawarmas at a roadside stall before quietly practicing from home. Now, he's in custody, accused of brewing poison from castor beans for attacks on high-profile targets. As cops unearth lab-like setups in his Uppal residence, this case exposes the shadowy underbelly of radicalization and failed aspirations. Was it ideology, desperation, or a trap? Let's peel back the layers on this ricin reckoning.
## The Bust: From Castor Beans to Chemical Nightmare
It started with a tip-off: Intelligence chatter about a "doctor-turned-extremist" sourcing materials for a biological weapon. On November 11, 2025, Gujarat ATS swooped in on three suspects in Ahmedabad, including Saiyyad, nabbing them mid-plot. The trio allegedly scouted terror sites – the RSS headquarters in Lucknow, Delhi's bustling Azadpur Mandi, and Ahmedabad's Naroda fruit market – eyeing spots for ricin dispersal via aerosol or contaminated food. Their goal? Mass casualties in crowded, symbolic locations.
The smoking gun came during a thunderous raid on Saiyyad's home in Fort View Colony, Uppal, Hyderabad, on November 12. ATS teams, backed by local cyber police, rifled through his setup for 90 minutes, hauling away a makeshift ricin lab. Here's what they seized, per official disclosures:
| Item Seized | Quantity/Description | Role in Ricin Production |
|------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------|
| **Castor Pulp** | 3 kg | Primary source; ricin extracted from beans |
| **Acetone** | 5 liters + delivery receipt | Solvent for isolating the toxin |
| **Cold Press Oil Machine** | 1 unit | Used to crush beans and separate residue |
| **Mixing Tub** | 1 large container | For blending pulp with solvents |
| **Chemicals & Liquids** | Blue drum (unidentified chemical), 3 types | Potential stabilizers or enhancers |
| **Digital & Docs** | Computer, books, papers | Evidence of research/recipes |
*Compiled from ATS raid reports*
No finished ricin was found, but precursors screamed intent. Interrogations revealed the group sourced castor beans – dirt-cheap and unregulated in India – via online agri portals, aiming for a low-tech bioweapon that could kill thousands undetected.
## The Accused: A Doctor's Descent from Shawarmas to Suspicion
Saiyyad's arc reads like a cautionary tale of unfulfilled promise. Hailing from a modest Hyderabad family, he pursued medicine abroad, earning his MBBS from a Chinese university around 2015. Back home, the FMGE – India's gateway exam for foreign grads – proved his Waterloo. With a pass rate hovering at 20-30%, he flunked, barring him from legal practice. Undeterred (or desperate), he pivoted to a shawarma stall in the city, slinging Middle Eastern wraps to make ends meet – a far cry from stethoscopes and scrubs.
By 2022, whispers say he quietly set up a home clinic in Uppal, treating locals off-the-books despite the FMGE shadow. Neighbors describe him as "affable" and "God-fearing," with no overt radical signs. But cops paint a different picture: Radicalized online via encrypted apps, Saiyyad allegedly connected with handlers promising "jihadist glory" and funding for his "research." A recent Gujarat trip? Framed by family as a "business deal" for pharma supplies, but ATS calls it a handoff for ricin prototypes.
The other two arrestees – identities withheld – are low-profile locals with alleged ISIS sympathies, per sources. No international links yet, but NIA is looping in for deeper probes.
## Ricin 101: The 'Poor Man's Nuke' in Terror's Arsenal
Why ricin? It's the bioterrorist's dream: Easy, cheap, and apocalyptic. Derived from Ricinus communis (castor plant) beans – grown widely for oil in India – ricin is a lectin protein that sabotages cells by gagging ribosomes, the protein factories. Just 1-2 milligrams (a pinhead) ingested, inhaled, or injected can fell an adult in 36-72 hours, with symptoms mimicking food poisoning: Vomiting, bloody diarrhea, organ shutdown, seizures. No antidote exists; treatment is supportive, and detection? Near impossible without specialized labs.
Extraction is DIY-level: Mash beans, soak in solvents like acetone, filter – boom, toxin paste. Terror history? From 2003 London ricin cells to Al-Qaeda plots, it's a staple for those dodging nukes or sarin. In India, this marks a first for domestic ricin ambitions, raising alarms on agro-supply chain vulnerabilities.
## Family's Fury: Framed or Fallen?
Shock rippled through Saiyyad's clan when ATS called mid-day on November 12 – his brother, Syed Umer Farooq (a schoolteacher), initially dismissed it as a scam. "We rushed home to cops everywhere," Farooq recounted, eyes welling. The family insists innocence: Saiyyad jetted to Gujarat weeks ago for a "legit job" in medical trading, only to be duped with a booby-trapped bag of "cash." No prior red flags in police background checks, they claim – he was the "golden boy," mosque-regular, shawarma-slinging survivor.
Yet, Farooq's caveat cuts deep: "If guilty, he shouldn't be spared. Justice for all." As Hyderabad buzzes with whispers of entrapment, the family demands a "fair, transparent probe" – no witch hunt. Community leaders echo this, fearing it stigmatizes Muslim docs and small biz owners.
(Note: Early reports hinted at Red Fort blast ties, but probes found no links; that angle's debunked.)
## Bigger Picture: Bioterror's New Frontier in India?
This ricin bust isn't isolated – it's a flare in India's escalating lone-wolf terror landscape, from 2024's Kerala ISIS modules to Delhi's ammonium nitrate hauls. With FMGE failures churning out 10,000+ frustrated grads yearly, experts warn of vulnerability: "Bright minds adrift can be prey for ideologues," says a NIA insider. Regulators eye tighter castor oversight and online radicalization curbs, but enforcement lags.
For Saiyyad, the clock ticks: Remand ends soon, with charges under UAPA looming. If convicted, life in a Sabarmati cell – no shawarmas included.
## Final Thoughts: Poisoned Dreams or Plotted Peril?
Dr. Saiyyad's saga – from Chinese campuses to castor labs – blurs the line between personal flop and public threat. Framed fool or fanatic? Only courts will tell. But it screams for systemic fixes: Easier FMGE paths, deradicalization nets, and agro-watch. In a nation of 1.4 billion aspirations, one man's poison could poison us all.
Thoughts on this twist? Framed or foe? Drop below – and stay vigilant in the shadows.
*Disclaimer: Based on public reports; ongoing probe may alter facts. Not legal advice.*
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**Sources:**
- [1-3] NDTV, MSN, Indian Express Coverage
- [4-8] WION, India Today, The Hindu, YouTube
