Bengaluru : IS Module Of 14-Member Busted By NIA, 2 Arrested

Bengaluru : A module of the Islamic State (IS) has been busted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Two IS operatives have been arrested by NIA whose names are 40-year-old Ahmed Abdul Qadir and 33-year-old Irfan Nasir from Bangalore.

In the initial investigation of NIA, it has been found that in 2013-14, at least 13-14 people traveled from Bengaluru to Iraq and Syria. Two of them are believed to have died in Syria while fighting for IS, while some reportedly returned quietly in 2014. Many of them are still absconding. Sources said that the NIA has identified all the members of the module and their activities are being investigated, who were in contact with Qadir and Nasir.

Among the suspects arrested, Qadir is a bank business analyst and Nasir runs his family business. They reportedly radicalized most of the module’s members and also funded the visit of at least five members. Both have been sent to 10 days custody for questioning by a special NIA court in Bangalore.

In August, the agency received inputs about the interrogation of Abdul Rahman, an eye doctor from Bangalore. Qadir, Nasir and some of his colleagues were members of the Hizb ut-Tahrir (Hooti). They later formed a group called the Quran Circle and radicalized and implicated people in their module.

Before this a big 22-member module went from Kasargod and Palakkad districts of Kerala to Iraq and Syria in 2016. It is believed to be the largest group traveling from India to the region. Officials said many operatives have traveled to IS-occupied areas in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan since 2014 but in small groups or individually.