The probe agency on Wednesday morning detained 11 youths from Hyderabad and placed five of them under arrest by the evening.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday held 11 youth from Hyderabad and placed five of them under arrest for allegedly joining Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Among the five arrested men are two brothers named Mohammed Ibrahim Yazdani and Mohammed Iliyas Yazdani, whom the agency claims to be the masterminds of the ISIS module which was supposed to evolve into a "larger group".
The three other arrested individuals have been identified as Habeeb Mohammed (32), Mohammed Irfan (27) and Abdullah Bin Ahmed Al Amoodi (31). While Habeeb is a resident of Hashamabad and a computer science graduate, Abdullah is also a graduate. According to agency officials, an FIR was registered against five of the detained individuals on June 22 after evidence against them emerged during the course of an ongoing investigation concerning suspected ISIS sympathisers in India.
"Some youths hailing from Hyderabad and their accomplices had entered into criminal conspiracy to wage war against the Government of India by collecting weapons and explosive materials to commit terrorist acts by targeting public places in various parts of the country,"the official added. Sections the accused are booked under are, 121 A and B of Indian penal Code, section 4 and 5 of explosives substance act and section 18 B, 38 and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Agency officials added that while conducting raids at 11 locations across Hyderabad, six other men were taken into custody and they are now being questioned. "Action against the six other men will take place according to preliminary questioning," said a senior NIA official.
"It is reliably learnt that the said persons were working at the behest of handlers of Islamic State," the official further said, adding that the identity of the handler is yet to be ascertained.
According to agency officials, the Yazdani brothers, who belong to Talab Katta locality of Hyderabad's Aman Nagar area were allegedly in touch with the handler based out of Iraq or Syria. While 30-year-old Ibrahim Yazdani, who is said to be a computer engineer by profession, had moved to the Chatta bazaar area, his younger brother Ilyas (24) continued to stay in Talab Katta.
Iliyas is said to have dropped out of his graduation course and was working in Shalimar Online Seva, which is located close to the local police station in Talab Katta. Shalimar Online Seva, according to its online description, is like many private vendors used by the government to distribute pan cards, birth certificates and other identification documents. When dna contacted Shalimar Online Seva, they refused to comment.
Earlier this year, almost two dozen persons were arrested by the NIA for their alleged links with ISIS. The handler in their case was said to be Shafi Armar alias Yusuf-al-Hindi an Islamic State (IS) recruiter, hailing from Bhatkal, Karnataka. Armar started his career with Indian Mujahiddeen, when he was recruited along with his brother Sultan Armar by Riyaz Bhatkal in 2008. In April, however, there were unconfirmed reports that Armar was killed in a US drone strike but agency officials now believe that the latest alleged module might have been in touch with Armar.
Meanwhile, material seized by the NIA in Wednesday's raid include weapons, electronic gadgets and chemicals. Agency sources told dna that the suspects were allegedly planning to conduct anti-national activities and perpetrate violence.
Surprisingly official sources had told dna that Yazdani brothers belonged to the Shia community an occurrence which is rare owing to ISIS anti-shia violence. However while speaking to dna, brother in law of Ibrahim and Iliyas said that the brothers did not belong to the Shia community and added the investigating agency has been misled. When dna told the same to NIA, the officials there said that the youth stayed in a locality which had made investigators believe that the belong to the community.
Meanwhile, all the five accused were today produced in front of a local court that sent them to 14 day judicial custody. NIA has moved court to seek police custody of the arrested men. The remaining six persons held by NIA are still being questioned for their suspected role by the agency.
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