Kuwaiti arrested for financing Mumbai quartet’s journey to Syria
By Munish Pandey
Abdullah Hadi Abdul Rahman Al-Enezi sent $1,000 to Mumbai’s Areeb Majeed, Shaheen Tanki, Fahad Sheikh and Aman Tandel to take care of their travelling expenses from Iraq to Syria in May 2014.
A 32-year-old Kuwaiti national, who allegedly funded Panvel’s Areeb Majeed and his three associates’ journey to Syria to join Daesh, has been arrested in Kuwait, based on a tip-off by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). This marked the maiden international arrest involving Indian recruits for Daesh.
Majeed and three of his associates –Shaheem Tanki, Fahad Sheikh and Aman Tandel (all from Kalyan) – had travelled to Iraq in May 2014 on the pretext of going for a pilgrimage but later disappearing to wage Daesh’s religious war. Majeed was arrested on his arrival to India in November 2014. During his interrogation, he had admitted to the NIA of having received the money to cover his travel expenses to Syria.
According to NIA sources, Al-Enezi has confessed that he had sent the money through a Western Union money transfer to the quartet when they were living in Iraq. He had also confessed to have been involved in financing Daesh, especially after returning from a visit to Pakistan in 2013.
Alok Mittal, Inspector General of NIA, confirmed the arrest, saying, “It's a very important arrest. Kuwait officials not only arrested Abdullah after we provided information but also booked him under relevant sections of the Terrorism Act. His arrest by Kuwaiti law enforcement agencies has sent a strong and positive message to those involved in international terrorism.”
NIA is likely to send a team to Kuwait to interrogate Al-Enezi.
His arrest marks the first international arrest involving Indian Daesh recruits.
NIA seeking AF national’s arrest
Majeed, during his interrogation, had said that he had called Rahman Daulti – an Afghan national -- to arrange for money.
“Daulti provided Abdullah’s contact and asked Areeb to get in touch with him. Abdullah later transferred the money through Western Union. We verified the transaction details and got to know about Abdullah,” said an NIA source.
Daulti is a key Daesh recruiter in India and other countries in the subcontinent. Daulti had also met Majeed and his associates before they went to Iraq in May 2014.
“Daulti, an Afgan national, is a dry fruit businessman who used to frequently visit India. His arrest is key to provide details of how many more people from India and other countries have been funded by him or provoked by him to join ISIS," the source added, referring to Daesh by another acronym.
NIA has already sent a Mutual Legal Assistance Request to Afgan authorities to arrest Daulti.
Majeed was the first Indian graduate from Daesh’s training school as a fidayeen or a suicide bomber. A civil engineer by educational qualification, he had told his interrogators that he was trained to be a suicide bomber, but made three failed attempts before returning to India. According to another news report, Majeed also admitted to have gotten disillusioned after he was made to clean toilets in Syria and was left unattended after getting injured.
He was arrested and charge sheeted by the NIA after arriving to the country via Turkey.
Majeed is currently in Arthur Road jail under judicial custody.
Abdullah Hadi Abdul Rahman Al-Enezi sent $1,000 to Mumbai’s Areeb Majeed, Shaheen Tanki, Fahad Sheikh and Aman Tandel to take care of their travelling expenses from Iraq to Syria in May 2014.
A 32-year-old Kuwaiti national, who allegedly funded Panvel’s Areeb Majeed and his three associates’ journey to Syria to join Daesh, has been arrested in Kuwait, based on a tip-off by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). This marked the maiden international arrest involving Indian recruits for Daesh.
Abdullah Hadi Abdul Rahman Al-Enezi was arrested after NIA had sent a Mutual Legal Assistance Request to Kuwait after Majeed admitted getting financial amounting to $1,000 to go to Syria in 2014.
Majeed and three of his associates –Shaheem Tanki, Fahad Sheikh and Aman Tandel (all from Kalyan) – had travelled to Iraq in May 2014 on the pretext of going for a pilgrimage but later disappearing to wage Daesh’s religious war. Majeed was arrested on his arrival to India in November 2014. During his interrogation, he had admitted to the NIA of having received the money to cover his travel expenses to Syria.
According to NIA sources, Al-Enezi has confessed that he had sent the money through a Western Union money transfer to the quartet when they were living in Iraq. He had also confessed to have been involved in financing Daesh, especially after returning from a visit to Pakistan in 2013.
Alok Mittal, Inspector General of NIA, confirmed the arrest, saying, “It's a very important arrest. Kuwait officials not only arrested Abdullah after we provided information but also booked him under relevant sections of the Terrorism Act. His arrest by Kuwaiti law enforcement agencies has sent a strong and positive message to those involved in international terrorism.”
NIA is likely to send a team to Kuwait to interrogate Al-Enezi.
His arrest marks the first international arrest involving Indian Daesh recruits.
NIA seeking AF national’s arrest
Majeed, during his interrogation, had said that he had called Rahman Daulti – an Afghan national -- to arrange for money.
“Daulti provided Abdullah’s contact and asked Areeb to get in touch with him. Abdullah later transferred the money through Western Union. We verified the transaction details and got to know about Abdullah,” said an NIA source.
Daulti is a key Daesh recruiter in India and other countries in the subcontinent. Daulti had also met Majeed and his associates before they went to Iraq in May 2014.
“Daulti, an Afgan national, is a dry fruit businessman who used to frequently visit India. His arrest is key to provide details of how many more people from India and other countries have been funded by him or provoked by him to join ISIS," the source added, referring to Daesh by another acronym.
NIA has already sent a Mutual Legal Assistance Request to Afgan authorities to arrest Daulti.
Majeed was the first Indian graduate from Daesh’s training school as a fidayeen or a suicide bomber. A civil engineer by educational qualification, he had told his interrogators that he was trained to be a suicide bomber, but made three failed attempts before returning to India. According to another news report, Majeed also admitted to have gotten disillusioned after he was made to clean toilets in Syria and was left unattended after getting injured.
He was arrested and charge sheeted by the NIA after arriving to the country via Turkey.
Majeed is currently in Arthur Road jail under judicial custody.
