On IS module trail, NIA raids 4 sites, picks up 4 suspects

NEW DELHI: The NIA on Saturday carried out searches in Hyderabad and Wardha in connection with a Islamic State-inspired module case. The module was busted after three of the accused were deported from Abu Dhabi in January 2016. In August 2018, NIA had arrested two more IS sympathisers from Hyderabad who, along with the deported accused, were allegedly conspiring to radicalise youngsters in India.
The agency said it carried out searches at three places in Hyderabad and one place in Wardha, Maharashtra and picked up four suspects, including the wife of a chargesheeted accused in the case, Mohammad Abdullah Basith, for questioning.Sources said the woman is also highly radicalised and it was their common interest in IS ideology that had originally brought her and Basith together.
The four suspects were questioned by the agency on their alleged links with the module as well as on recoveries made on Saturday, including 13 mobile phones, 11 SIM cards, an iPad, two laptops, one external hard disk, six pen drives, six SD cards and three walkie-talkie sets, apart from documents. However, NIA will wait for the results of forensic examination of the seized items before making any arrests.
IS ‘Abu Dhabi’ module case was registered after three accused Sheikh Azharul-Islam, Adnan Hassan and Mohammed Farhan Shaikh were arrested upon arrival in Delhi from Abu Dhabi in January 2016. Abdullah Basith and Abdul Qhadeer were picked up from Hyderabad much later in August 2018.
In another case relating to an IS-inspired module busted in Delhi and UP last year, NIA on Saturday arrested Mohammad Gufran, a 24-year ‘moulvi’ from Amroha. He is the 13th member of the module, which was allegedly at an advanced stage of preparation for terror attacks in Delhi and UP, to be arrested. According to a source, Gufran was part of planning and arranging of resources for the intended attacks.