The Red Fort car blast probe revealed the suspects used covert “dead drop” email drafts and encrypted apps like Signal, Session, and Telegram to plan the attack. The accused, linked to Jaish-e-Mohammad, coordinated secretly to evade surveillance.
New Delhi: The terrorists suspected to be behind the Delhi Red Fort car blast employed sophisticated covert communication techniques to plan their attack, investigators have revealed. The accused utilised a specialized method known as ‘dead drop’ emails for coordination. This technique was allegedly used by the detained medical practitioners to carry out their operations. The devastating explosion near Red Fort resulted in at least 13 fatalities and left nearly two dozen individuals wounded when an i20 automobile detonated in the area. Medical professionals Muzammil Shakeel, Umar Mohammad, and Shaheed Saeed have emerged as primary suspects in the investigation. Authorities are examining potential connections between these individuals and a militant cell linked to the Pakistan-based organization Jaish-e-Mohammad.
What is Drop Dead Mail?
Drop dead mail is a covert method of communication in which messages or items are exchanged without the sender and receiver ever meeting face-to-face. Traditionally, a person leaves the message in a hidden spot, and the intended recipient picks it up later, allowing the exchange to remain discreet and untraceable. In modern digital usage, the term can also describe a shared email account where messages are written and stored as drafts instead of being sent. Since nothing is transmitted through normal email channels, this method reduces the digital footprint and makes the communication harder to track.
According to investigators, the suspects maintained a shared email account for internal and external communications. Their methodology involved composing operational plans within the drafts folder, which other members would access by logging into the account. Since no emails were actually transmitted, this approach significantly complicated efforts to track their digital communications. Beyond email, the group utilized encrypted messaging applications such as Threema and Telegram, alongside various other difficult-to-trace platforms, to maintain operational secrecy and circumvent surveillance measures.
Modus Operandi
Dr. Umar Nabi, the suspected suicide attacker, coordinated with his network through multiple encrypted messaging services – Session, Signal, and Telegram. Nabi and three associates, connected to both Jaish-e-Muhammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, journeyed to Turkey in 2022. In Ankara, Nabi spent approximately two weeks meeting with a handler identified by the codename Ukasa. Initial communications began on Telegram before the cell strategically migrated to the more secure Signal and Session platforms to finalize attack details for the Red Fort operation.
Session is a messaging platform that distinguishes itself through its approach to privacy protection, security protocols, and data management. According to the developer’s information, Session functions as an end-to-end encrypted messenger safeguarding confidential data through a decentralized system designed by privacy professionals.