Mumbai attack mastermind and Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operations commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi was arrested on Saturday in Pakistan on terror financing charges, an official said.
Lakhvi, who was on bail since 2015 in the Mumbai attack case, was arrested by the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) of Punjab province.
However, the CTD did not reveal the place of his arrest.
"Following an intelligence-based operation conducted by the CTD Punjab, proscribed organisation LeT leader Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi was arrested on charges of terrorism financing,” it said.
It further said that Lakhvi, 61, was arrested in a case of terrorism financing registered in a police station of CTD Lahore.
"Lakhvi is accused of running a dispensary, using funds collected for terrorism financing. He and others also collected funds from this dispensary and used these funds for further terrorism financing. He also used these funds for personal expenses," the CTD said.
The CTD said that in addition to belonging to proscribed organisation LeT, Lakhvi is also a UN-designated individual.
"His trial will be held before the Anti-Terrorism Court in Lahore," it added.
Lakhvi, operations commander of the terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, was named as a global terrorist by the United Nations under the UNSC resolution in 2008 after the 26/11 Mumbai attacks.
During the Mumbai attacks investigation, it was revealed that Lakhvi had prepared a full plan for the terror attack under the orders of Hafiz Saeed.
The attacks, which drew widespread global condemnation, began on November 26 and lasted until November 29. At least 174 people died, including 9 attackers, and more than 300 were wounded.
The foremost ringleader of the attacks, Lakhvi, was released on bail in April 2015, following which he had disappeared.
(With inputs from PTI)
