BANGALORE, India - Officials confirmed Tuesday that an Indian suspect in the
failed car bombings in Britain had worked as an aeronautical engineer at a
company contracted by the biggest names in aviation.
In this undated photo made available on Monday, July 9, 2007
by the tabloid Bangalore Mirror in Bangalore, India, shows Indian engineer
Kafeel Ahmed. [AP]
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Kafeel Ahmed, 27, is in a Scottish
hospital with burns suffered after allegedly crashing a Jeep Cherokee into the
Glasgow airport a day after police found two unexploded car bombs in central
London.
Ahmed worked in Bangalore as an aeronautical engineer for Infotech
Enterprises, a large outsourcing firm, from December 2005 to August 2006, said
the company spokesman K.S. Susindar.
Infotech works with some of the biggest companies in aviation, including
Boeing and Airbus, among others - possibly giving Ahmed access to sensitive
design information from the companies.
Susindar declined to comment on whether Ahmed had access to design secrets or
what projects he worked on.
"He was a sincere employee and from what I can gather he gave no problems
whatsoever," said Susindar.
Sabeel Ahmed, 26, Kafeel's brother, is being held in Liverpool as a suspect
in the terror plot. Sabeel, who worked as a doctor, and Kafeel are among eight
people held in the case.
A third Indian, Mohammad Haneef, is being held in Australia for questioning.
An Australian federal police agent has gone to India to continue the
investigation, said a spokeswoman for the Australian Federal Police, speaking on
a condition of anonymity in line with agency policy.
She would not say where the officer went, but she said the officer would be
working with Indian officials.
The case emerged June 29, when two cars packed with gas cylinders and nails
were discovered in London's entertainment district. The next day, the flaming
Jeep smashed into security barriers at the main terminal at Glasgow airport.
Only one of the eight people in custody as suspects has been charged: Bilal
Abdullah, an Iraqi doctor identified as a passenger in the Jeep that Kafeel
Ahmed is accused of driving.
An Indian newspaper, The Hindustan Times, said investigators in Bangalore
were looking for anything that might link the Ahmed brothers to terror acts in
India. It said there was evidence suggesting Abdullah had visited Bangalore to
meet with the two.