INDIA. Mumbai: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids at 31 locations in Tamil Nadu and Telangana as part of a significant operation to thwart an ISIS-inspired recruitment campaign. During these searches, various digital devices, documents, Indian and foreign currency, as well as incriminating books in vernacular and Arabic languages, were seized.
The operations covered 22 locations in Coimbatore, three in Chennai, and one in Kadaiyanallur, Tenkasi district of Tamil Nadu. Additionally, five locations were raided in Hyderabad and Cyberabad, Telangana, according to an NIA statement.
Among the items seized, authorities found Rs 60 lakh in Indian currency and USD 18,200. The NIA is currently examining the data contained in the mobile phones, laptops, and hard discs seized during these extensive raids.
NIA investigations have uncovered that individuals with ISIS-inspired ideologies were involved in propagating the Khilafat ideology, which contradicts India’s constitutionally established principles of secularism and democracy.
These radicalization efforts were often camouflaged as Arabic language classes conducted through regional study centers. Such activities were then disseminated online via social media platforms and messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram, as per the NIA statement.
The case (RC-01/2023/NIA/CHE) was registered by NIA’s Chennai wing under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967. These sections pertain to clandestine operations aimed at radicalizing young individuals.
The group behind these activities had conspired to radicalize and recruit youth who were subsequently found to be involved in both terrorist and unlawful activities, including a car bomb blast case that occurred in Coimbatore on October 23, 2022, as stated by the NIA.
Also Read: NIA Conducts Raids on Al Qaeda and Tehrik-e-Taliban Hideouts in Four States
