By Raju Vernekar
Mumbai, September 17
In a major crackdown on the ISIS radicalization and recruitment campaign and plans, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) raided 31 locations in two southern states Tamil Nadu and Telangana, and seized several digital devices and documents, along with Indian and foreign currency, on Saturday.
The raids were conducted at 22 locations in Coimbatore, three in Chennai and one in Kadaiyanallur of Tenkasi district of Tamil Nadu. Another five locations were raided at Hyderabad and Cyberabad in Telengana, the NIA statement read.
Several incriminating books in vernacular and Arabic languages were also seized during the searches, in addition to Rs 60 lakh in Indian currency and USD 18,200. The NIA is in the process of examining the data contained in the mobile phones, laptops and hard discs seized during the raids conducted across two Southern States.
NIA investigations have revealed that the ISIS-inspired agent provocateurs were engaged in the propagation of Khilafat ideology, which is inimical to India’s constitutionally established principles of secularism and democracy.
“The radicalization was being carried out in the garb of holding Arabic language classes conducted through their regional study centres. Such radicalization activities were being flashed online through social media platforms and mobile applications like WhatsApp and Telegram,” the NIA statement added.
The case (RC-01/2023/NIA/CHE) was registered by the NIA’s Chennai wing under sections 120B, 121A of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and sections 13, 18, 18B of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, which pertains to clandestine operations by a group of individuals to radicalize gullible youth.
The group of persons had entered into a conspiracy to radicalise and recruit youth who were later found involved in terrorist as well as unlawful activities. One such act was a car bomb blast case on October23,2022 in Coimbatore, the NIA stated.
