NIA arrests two terror suspects in AQIS case

New Delhi, Feb 12 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) said on Sunday that they have arrested two terror suspects in a case related to activities of the Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).

The NIA on Saturday conducted raids in Bengaluru and Thane and detained the suspected persons. On Sunday, the agency confirmed that they have made two arrest in the matter.

The accused were identified as Mohammad Ari, a resident of Karnataka and Hamraz Worshid Shaikh, a resident of Maharashtra.

"Preliminary investigations have revealed that the accused, Arif and Shaikh were in contact with foreign-based online handlers affiliated to proscribed terrorist organisations. They had also made elaborate plans to leave for Afghanistan to progress their terrorist activities," the NIA said.

The suspected accused Arif was the first to be arrested by the NIA, he was planning to go Syria via Iraq to join ISIS. He was held from Bengaluru in a joint operation between Internal Security Division (ISD) of Bengaluru and the National Investigation Agency (NIA). Later on Shaikh was arrested.

The NIA sources have claimed that Arif was in touch with abroad-based terrorists and was held for his suspicious activities.

Sources said that Arif was allegedly radicalising gullibe youths. The Central agencies have found several suspected transactions made by him and done into his account.

The NIA recovered electronic gadgets from his possession and recovered tons of data from his laptop which is said to be highly objectionable and anti-India.

Arif was repoetedly working in a private tech firm as a software engineer.

Sources said that Arif was planning to flee Karnataka in the month of March and was about to sell all his home furniture and electronics gadgets online. The source claimed that Arif had also booked tickets for Iraq and from there he had planned to go to Syria.

"He confessed that he received money from abroad based handlers of ISIS and Al-Qaeda to radicalise youth. He wanted to join ISIS. He was contacting his handlers through Telegram app. We were keeping an eye on him for past two years. This morning we conducted raids and have held him," sources claimed.

Further probe in the matter is on.