NIA busts IS terror module in Madhya Pradesh, arrests 3 'highly radicalised' youths

New Delhi, May 27

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) claims to have busted an ISIS-linked terror module with the arrest of three persons from Madhya Pradesh’s Jabalpur following overnight raids conducted at 13 locations in the state.

The trio, Syed Mamoor Ali, Mohammad Adil Khan and Mohammad Shahid, were produced before a special judge, who remanded them in NIA custody till June 3. The raiding teams recovered sharp weapons, ammunition (including prohibited bore), incriminating documents and digital devices.

Adil was on the agency’s radar since August 2022 and a case was registered on May 24, an NIA spokesperson said. “The NIA learnt that Adil and his associates were involved in disseminating ISIS propaganda through social media to unleash terror attacks in India at the instance of the ISIS. The module had been conducting meetings in mosques and houses and hatching conspiracies to spread terror,” the agency alleged.

It said the investigations revealed that the three accused were “highly radicalised and were determined to carry out violent jihad”. “They were engaged in collecting funds, disseminating ISIS propaganda material, motivating and recruiting youth and trying to procure arms and ammunition with the objective of carrying out terrorist acts,” the NIA alleged.

It alleged Ali had created a local group by the name of ‘Fisabilillah’ and was also operating a WhatsApp group by the same name. “He was trying to procure pistols and was in contact with a Jabalpur-based illegal arms supplier for this purpose,” it said.

A staunch ISIS follower, Adil, the NIA claimed, had managed to assemble an active group of Jabalpur-based like-minded radicalised individuals. “Some of the module members were already contemplating flight to conflict theatres while others had plans to form a local outfit for carrying out violent jihad in India,” it said, adding that he was also running multiple YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp channels for recruiting youth into the ISIS fold.

Huge ammo haul in Jharkhand

• The National Investigation Agency has seized a huge cache of ammunition from a forest in Gumla district of Jharkhand
• The move came on leads provided by accused Dinesh Gope of banned Naxal outfit People’s Liberation Front of India
• Gope has been charged in a case pertaining to the recovery of demonetised currency of Rs 25.38 lakh
• The agency has seized 1,245 rounds of 7.62 mm and 271 rounds of 5.56 mm ammunition from the accused