Kerala man held in probe into IS module

Suspect deported from UAE, used to send money to terror recruits: NIA

THE NATIONAL Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday arrested a man from Kerala on suspicion of sending funds from the UAE to alleged Islamic State recruits in India to facilitate antinational activities.

Thesuspect—mouinudheen Parakadavath, 25 — comes from Kasaragod in Kerala, and had beendeportedfromabudhabi.nia officials received him at Delhi’s IGI Airport on Tuesday on his arrival and formally arrested him Wednesday after questioning.

“During his examination, he admitted to his involvement in the conspiracy and, therefore, he was arrested today at NIA Hqrs [headquarters],” according to an NIA statement.

Mouinudheen’s arrest relates to NIA’S busting of an alleged IS group at Kanakamala in Kannur, Kerala, in October last year. Subsequent probe found that the group was planning to attack religious places and locations frequented by Israeli tourists, the agency claimed. It said that they also had plans to attack Kerala High Court judges and political leaders.

One of the group’s handler had been identified as Manglasherry, who was operating from Iran but had ostensibly moved to Afghanistan by the time the module was busted.

“Onoctober2,2016,basedon intelligence inputs, five accused associated with this terror module were arrested from Kanakmala Hill in Kannoor [Kannur] district,”theniastated.“another associate was arrested from Calicut the same day. Based on their revelation,itwasestablishedthat Mouinudheenwasakeyfigurein the module, which was actively planning various aspects of terrorist plot, on a Telegram group.”

Theagencysaidthatmouinudheen used the online identity Abu-al-indonesi, as well as Ibn Abdullah,onthetelegramgroup. “It was also revealed by the arrested persons that Mouinudheen had sent funds from Abu Dhabitomembersoftheterrorist module in Kerala, for purposes of the conspiracy, through Western Union Money Transfer, last year,” according to the statement.