Hyderabad: NIA arrests two men with links to ISIS
National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday announced arrest of two persons in Hyderabad for their alleged connections with the terrorist organisation Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS).
The accused were identified as Mohammad Abdullah Basith (24), son of Mohammad Abdul Arif of Hafeez Baba Nagar and Mohammad Abdul Qadeer (19), son of Abdul Quddus of Chandrayangutta, both belong to the old city of Hyderabad.
The arrests followed a series of raids conducted the NIA sleuths at seven places on August 8 and subsequent interrogation of several suspects in the last one week.
“A lot of incriminating material was recovered and seized from the accused and has been sent to Central Forensic Science Laboraotry in Hyderabad for analysis and data extraction,” an official release from the investigating agency said.
NIA authorities said during the interrogation, it was revealed that both Basith and Qadeer had pledged their allegiance to the ISIS to carry out terror activities in India.
“They were arrested to ascertain the details of the ongoing conspiracy and also their role played in furthering the ISIS ideology to carry out terrorist acts in India,” police said.
On January 28, 2016, the NIA registered a case in New Delhi under Section 120 (B) of Indian Penal Code and Sections 18, 18A and 18 B Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, against Sheikh Azhar-ul-Islam, Mohammed Farhan Shaikh and Adnan Hassan on the charges that they and their unknown associates were members of the ISIS.
After completion of investigation, the NIA filed chargesheet against them on July 25, 2016 in the NIA Special Court, Patiala House Courts, New Delhi. During the trial, Sheikh Azhar-ul- Islam and Mohammed Farhan Shaikh pleaded guilty and were sentenced to seven years of imprisonment.
The trial against the third accused Adnan Hassan was still on. During further investigation, a fresh input was received from reliable sources that Basith was connected with Adnan Hassan and that some of his associates are in regular touch with each other.
They were allegedly conspiring taking up further the activities of ISIS. Based on these inputs, raids were conducted in Hyderabad, the NIA release said.
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