Akhtar Hussaini, a 60-year-old resident of Jamshedpur, Jharkhand, has been arrested for allegedly posing as a scientist from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and receiving crores of rupees in foreign funds in exchange for sensitive nuclear information, according to reports. He was apprehended last week while travelling across the country under the guise of being a BARC scientist. Investigators also arrested his brother, Adil Hussaini, in Delhi in connection with the same case.
Mumbai Police’s Crime Branch reported seizing more than ten maps and documents allegedly related to nuclear weapons, along with fake passports, Aadhaar and PAN cards, and a forged BARC identity card.
One of the IDs listed Hussaini as “Ali Raza Hussain,” while another named him “Alexander Palmer.” Sources said the accused had been using multiple aliases and fraudulent credentials for years to travel and liaise with contacts abroad.
Police sources told that the Hussaini brothers began receiving foreign funds as early as 1995. Initially, the payments were in lakhs, but after 2000, they allegedly rose to crores in exchange for blueprints and data related to India’s nuclear facilities.
Investigators identified a private bank account in Akhtar Hussaini’s name showing suspicious cross-border transactions. Authorities have requested complete details of deposits and transfers to trace the source of the funds.
The brothers reportedly closed several bank accounts over the years, complicating efforts to track the full money trail. Police are now reviewing old account records and suspect the existence of undisclosed accounts in foreign banks.
Suspected Pakistan links and past deportation
Preliminary investigations suggest the Hussaini brothers may have visited Pakistan and maintained connections with the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).
Sources stated that Akhtar Hussaini frequently changed his identity to evade detection. In 2004, he was deported from Dubai after claiming to be a scientist in possession of classified Indian nuclear documents. He is also alleged to have sold his ancestral property in Jharkhand in 1996, but continued using its address to create fake documents. Police believe he travelled abroad using forged passports under aliases such as Hussaini Mohammad Adil and Nasimuddin Syed Adil Hussaini.
Authorities are working closely with intelligence agencies to verify the authenticity of the seized documents and assess the potential scope of the security breach.
Police described the arrests as a major breakthrough in exposing a long-running espionage and forgery network involving fake identities, illicit funding, and the potential compromise of sensitive national security information.
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