NIA conducts searches in Delhi, Kerala, Karnataka in ISIS module case; 3 held

New Delhi/Bengaluru: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Monday arrested three persons as it conducted simultaneous searches at 11 locations in Kerala, Karnataka and Delhi in connection with terror activities of a group propagating the violent ideology of the ISIS terror group, an official said.

An NIA spokesperson said the searches were carried out by the premier anti-terror probe agency with local police units at 11 locations — eight in Kerala’s Kannur, Mallapuram, Kollam and Kasargod districts, two in Bengaluru and one in Delhi.

The case pertains to the terrorist activities of a group led by one Mohammed Ameen of Kerala, the official said.

Three people — Ameen and his associated Mushab Anuvar and Dr Rahees Rashid — were arrested after preliminary examination, the NIA official said. The group has been running various ISIS propaganda channels on different social media platforms such as Telegram, Hoop and Instagram for propagating the violent Jihadi ideology of ISIS, and radicalising and recruiting new members to the module, the NIA official said.

The NIA had registered a case against seven known and other unnamed persons under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the UA (P) Act on March 5, 2021.

The NIA official said the group of radicalised individuals, under the leadership of Ameen and having allegiance to the proscribed terrorist organisation ISIS, had identified certain people in Kerala and Karnataka for targeted killing.