IS-linked module eyed Boston-style attack with remote-controlled toy cars

An investigation into an IS-inspired terror module has revealed that suspects planned to use the remote-control mechanism of toy cars to trigger improvised explosive devices (IEDs), rather than turning the cars themselves into bombs, a senior police officer said.

According to officials, the remote control of the RC cars was intended to function as the detonator, while the car’s internal circuitry would be linked to the IED.

In Mumbai, police have seized an RC car from the suspects. The Special Cell has also recovered an actual detonator device and chemicals such as sulphur from Rizwan, identified as a member of the second module.


Security agencies noted that terror outfits have previously used the “toy car” modus operandi in attacks worldwide. The bombs used in the 2013 Boston Marathon blasts were triggered using remote devices similar to those used for controlling toy cars, with instructions circulated through al-Qaida’s online magazine Inspire, sources said.

In the same year, UK police arrested two suspects who had discussed sending a remote-controlled toy car loaded with explosives through the gate of a Territorial Army base. Investigators had recovered a manual titled “Make a Bomb in the Kitchen of Your Mom” along with issues of Inspire magazine.

The Islamic State has also reportedly deployed such devices in combat zones. In 2015, Kurdish forces in Syria and Iraq recovered a similar device after it failed to detonate.

Meanwhile, the Delhi Police have intensified their probe into the Telegram-based module. Following arrests in Maharashtra, raids are underway in Madhya Pradesh and other states to trace and apprehend remaining members of the two groups.

The two accused—Mossab Ahmad alias Kalam and Hamad Siddiqui—arrested in Mumbai, have been brought to Delhi for further interrogation. A police team has also visited Mossab’s hometown in Azamgarh, Uttar Pradesh. Their mobile phones and other electronic devices have been seized, and both were produced in court before being remanded to police custody.

Investigators said the accused initially named their Telegram groups “Saviour Mehdi” and “Bomb Squad”, before later changing them. During questioning, they allegedly revealed that their handler had shared online tutorials and DIY videos explaining how RC cars and controllers communicate wirelessly using radio waves.

The handler, identified as Abu Huzaifa, is believed to be linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) while posing as an ISIS recruiter on Telegram and other platforms. He allegedly circulated the tutorials through groups named “Mission Khilafat” and “Soldiers of Jihad”.

A senior officer said the suspects were intercepted at an early stage of planning. “A few minors have also been identified. They will be counselled and possibly deradicalised,” the officer added.