NIA conducts searches across 5 states in Al Qaeda Gujarat terror conspiracy case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has conducted searches at 10 locations across five states in an Al Qaeda Gujarat terror conspiracy case allegedly involving illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, officials said on Thursday.

NIA teams conducted searches at premises on Wednesday linked with various suspects and their associates in West Bengal, Tripura, Meghalaya, Haryana and Gujarat, an agency spokesperson said in a statement.

The official said several digital devices and documents were seized that have been sent for forensic analysis.

The case was registered in 2023 and centres around four Bangladeshi nationals -- Mohd. Sojibmiyan, Munna Khalid Ansari, Azarul Islam, and Abdul Latif -- had illegally infiltrated into India from Bangladesh using forged Indian identity documents, the NIA alleged.

“They were found to be connected with the proscribed Al-Qaeda terrorist organisation. The men were involved in collection and transfer of funds to Al Qaida operatives in Bangladesh, and were also found to be actively motivating Muslim youth,” the statement said.

The NIA had filed a charge sheet on November 10, 2023 in a Ahmedabad Special Court.