NIA files charge sheet against 5 accused in Al-Qaeda conspiracy case

New Delhi, Nov 11 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday said that it has filed a charge sheet against five accused in connection with the Al-Qaeda conspiracy case.

The charge sheet was filed in the NIA Special Court in Ahmedabad against Mohammad Sojib Miyan, Munna Khalid Ansari aka Munna Khan, Jahangir aka Ajharul Islam, Abdul Latif, and Farid.

An NIA spokesperson here said that its probe has unraveled a meticulously planned conspiracy orchestrated by the banned terror organization Al-Qaeda operatives based across India-Bangladesh border, in collaboration with the arrested individuals, aimed at carrying out terrorist acts and activities in India. 

The official said that Sojib Miyan, Munna Khalid Ansari, Azarul Islam and Abdul Latif, were all foreign nationals and had infiltrated into India illegally. 

"They procured forged documents to operate covertly within the country and advance their terrorist agenda. Their actions were not limited to illegal entry but they were actively engaged in motivating, radicalising and indoctrinating vulnerable Muslim youth in India in the extremist ideology of Al-Qaeda and collection of funds and transferring them to the handlers and agents of proscribed terrorist organisation Al Qaida based on both sides of the border," the official said. 

The NIA probe uncovered that two absconding accused Shariful Islam and Sahiba are members of Al-Qaeda and are believed to be key handlers of the arrested individuals from across the border, the official said. 

"Acting on the directives of these handlers, the accused infiltrated India through illegal means, subsequently procuring forged documents to settle in India and operate discreetly in the furtherance of terrorist activities on Indian soil," the official said. 

They provided comprehensive training, including the use of covert communication applications, to evade detection and ensure the secrecy and anonymity of their activities.

Furthermore, these handlers were instrumental in the radicalization and motivation of vulnerable Muslim youth in India, the official said. 

The official said that efforts are being made to identify the handlers through diplomatic efforts, for which a formal request has already been initiated by the NIA. 

The official pointed out that its in-depth investigations by the NIA have established that foreign citizens illegally infiltrate into India, obtain fake ID Cards and documents, get jobs and covertly carry out activities on behalf of foreign terror organisations such as Al-Qaeda in the form of sleeper cells. 

"During the investigation, many foreign agents were identified who had quietly settled in different parts of India with fake identity documents and they provided safe passage to other illegal infiltrators, harbouring them and providing them with Indian Identity documents," the official said. 

According to the NIA, acting on credible inputs, the anti terrorism squad (ATS) in Ahmedabad that four terrorists have illegally infiltrated into India through the Indo-Bangladesh border by using forged and fraudulent identity documents. 

The ATS probe also revealed that these individuals were associated with Al-Qaeda and were engaging in activities, such as fundraising and recruitment of Muslim youth to join the terrorist ranks and a case was registered on May 21 this year. 

The NIA was handed over the probe by the Home Ministry considering the national security implications and June 19 this year. The NIA registered a case on June 22 under several sections of the Unlawful Activities (P) Act, Foreigners Act and IPC.