In a massive crackdown on the banned terror outfit, Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday arrested 15 terror operatives during multiple raids across Maharashtra and Karnataka.
NIA teams swept as many as 44 locations in Padgha-Borivali, Thane, Mira Road and Pune in Maharashtra and Karnataka’s Bengaluru early this morning, apprehending the 15 accused for promoting terror and terror related acts & activities of the proscribed organisation.
These raids, conducted as part of the national agency’s efforts to disrupt the terror outfit’s attempt of carrying out violent acts, led to the seizure of large amounts of unaccounted cash, firearms, sharp-edged weapons, incriminating documents, smart phones and other digital devices.
As per NIA investigations, the accused — operating on the directions of their foreign handlers — had been actively involved in various terrorist activities, including fabrication of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), for furthering the violent and destructive agenda of the ISIS.
The investigations further revealed that the accused were members of the ISIS Maharashtra module, operating from Padgha-Borivali, where they hatched the conspiracy to spread terror & violence across India. Pursuing the path of violent Jihad, Khilafat, ISIS etc., the accused had aimed to disturb the peace and communal harmony of the nation, in addition to waging a war against the Government of India.
In the recent months, NIA has conducted large-scale raids and busted different ISIS modules by arresting several terror operatives, in relation to the ISIS terror conspiracy case. The agency had registered a case against the ISIS Maharashtra module earlier this year and has, since then, undertaken strong and concerted actions to destroy various modules and networks of the terror outfit.
Just last month, in the Pune ISIS module, the national agency had filed a chargesheet against seven individuals involved in a conspiracy related to the terror organisation. The accused were involved in the collection and raising of funds for the terror outfit with the intention to further its terror and violence-related activities.
The accused were found to be organising terrorist training camps, harboring known and wanted terrorists, and committing acts prior to the fabrication of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). They were also found to be possessing IEDs, firearms and ammunitions.
The charges are under various sections of the UAPA Act, Explosives Substances Act, Arms Act and the Indian Penal Code.
In October, the Delhi Police arrested Islamic State (IS) terrorist, Shahnawaz Alam, wanted by NIA in connection with the Pune ISIS module case.
Alam was arrested just days after NIA announced a reward of Rs 3 lakh on him. Two other suspected terrorists — Arshad Warsi and Mohammad Rizwan — were also arrested in the follow-up action. An engineer by profession, Alam was found to have some chemical substance on him, which was seized, an official said.
In August, the NIA had arrested one Shamil Saquib Nachan in the case and claimed it had seized incriminating material from his residence in Thane district.
Earlier in an alleged conspiracy by ISIS to carry out terror attacks across India, the NIA had filed its first supplementary chargesheet against nine people from Karnataka.
Of the nine, five accused had tech backgrounds and were tasked to take courses in robotics to pick up skills for carrying terror attacks in the future. They were given these talks by the foreign-based ISIS handler, the NIA said.
The nine persons were charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Indian Penal Code and the Prevention of Destruction and Loss of Property Act.
ISIS is a global terror organisation, also known as Islamic State (IS) / Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL) / Daish / Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP) / ISIS Wilayat Khorasan/Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham Khorasan (ISIS-K)). The terror organisation has been spreading its terror network across India by putting localised modules in place.
Comments
0 comment