NIA conducts searches in Kerala in terror case

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, December 22

The NIA today conducted searches at seven locations in Kerala in connection with its probe against alleged members of proscribed terrorist outfit Jund Al Aqsa who are suspected to be in war-torn Syria, an official said. Officials in the agency said, the houses searched are of Mohammed Faaz, Mohammed Ihthisham, Abdul Sameeh, Rayees Rehiman, Nabeel Mohammed, Mohamed Shaheen and Mohammed Ameer in the two districts.

On January 9, 2019, the NIA took up the case suo-motu and registered an FIR under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act – UAPA against six accused Hashir Mohammed, a native of Ernakulam district of Kerala, Sidhikul Akbar, a native of Malappuram district of Kerala, Muhammed Irfan, a native of Kannur district of Kerala, Thaha Mohammed, a native of Shimoga district of Karnataka, Sultan Abdulla, a native of Kozhikode district, Kerala and Fayez Farooq, a native of Thrissur district, Kerala.

A senior NIA official said, “All of them while being in Qatar had conspired from 2013 onwards, made preparations and travelled to Syria and joined the proscribed terrorist organisations Jund AL Aqsa or Jabhat AL Nusrah.”

The official said investigation had revealed that Mohammed Faaz, Mohammed Ihthisham, Abdul Sameeh, Rayees Rehiman, Nabeel Mohammed, Mohammed Shaheen and Mohammed Ameer, while being in Qatar till early 2019, were in contact with the accused Sidhikul Akbar and had provided funds to fugitive based in Syria.

During searches, nine mobile phones, 15 SIM cards, one iPad, six laptops, three memory cards and various documents have been seized, he said.