NIA conducts raids in Kozhikode, Thrissur

KOZHIKODE: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday conducted raids at seven locations in Thrissur and Kozhikode as part of the probe into the case related to some youths from Kerala joining Jabhat Al-Nusra and Jund Al-Aqsa, which are terrorist organizations based in Syria, in 2013-14.
“The houses searched are that of Mohammed Faaz, Mohammed Ihthisham, Abdul Sameeh, Rayees Rehiman, Nabeel Mohammed, Mohamed Shaheen and Mohammed Ameer,” said a press release from the agency.
Last year, NIA had registered a case against Hashir Mohammed of Ernakulam, Sidhikul Akbar of Malappuram, Muhammed Irfan of Kannur, Thaha Mohammed hailing from Shimoga in Karnataka, Sultan Abdulla of Kozhikode and Fayez Farooq from Thrissur. All of them, while being in Qatar, had conspired from 2013 onwards, conducted preparations or travelled to Syria and joined the proscribed terrorist organizations Jund AL Aqsa or Jabhat AL Nusrah, said NIA.
According to NIA, Mohammed Faaz, Mohammed Ihthisham, Abdul Sameeh, Rayees Rehiman, Nabeel Mohammed, Mohammed Shaheen and Mohammed Ameer were in contact with the Sidhikul Akbar, who is believed to be in Syria, in 2019 and had provided funds to him.
During the search on Tuesday, nine mobile phones, fifteen SIM cards, one iPad, six laptops, three memory cards and various documents have been seized, said NIA.
Sources said that Hashir was the key figure in the group, who radicalized the group while they were in Qatar in 2010. He provided them the CD of the speeches of Anwar Al Awlaki, the controversial US preacher who was killed in a drone attack, to motivate them for jihad.
Hashir was an extreme Salafi, who wanted to do hijra (migration) to some Islamic land. He also introduced the group to the ideas of Abdulla Yusuf Azzam, the founder of Al Qaeda. The group had formed a WhatsApp group called ‘Darul Islam’.
According to sources, some in the group left for Syria in 2013 while others remained in Qatar waiting for their turn. In 2015, Qatar authorities came to know about the activities of the group and they were unofficially deported to India. NIA alleges that those who were deported maintained contact with those who were still in Syria.
Jabhat Al-Nusra is an Al Qaeda affiliate that changed its name several times since its formation. Jund Al-Aqsa also is jihadi outfit operating in Syria. Their relationship with the Islamic State (IS), which is operating in the same region, is often marked with violence. One Keralite from the Qatar group is believed to be injured in an attack by the IS.
The Qatar group was in touch with the IS module from Kerala, which migrated to Afghanistan in 2016, and the terror module in Coimbatore that was busted last year.