INDIA. Mumbai: In a significant development, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken possession of a residence in Uttar Pradesh, alleged to be the hub for terror activities by Minhaj Ahmed, an active member of Al-Qaeda.
The house, located at 602/400, Adnanpalli, Ring Road, Dubagga, Uttar Pradesh, was reportedly being utilized for various unlawful terror-related endeavors, including the creation of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and petrol bombs, with the intent of carrying out terrorist attacks within the state, according to an NIA statement released on Wednesday.
Minhaj Ahmed, along with Maseerudeen, was apprehended from this very location on July 11, 2021, based on an FIR No. 10/2021 dated July 11, 2021, originally registered by the Anti-Terrorist Squad in Gomati Nagar, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh.
Subsequently, the case was re-registered by the NIA in the same year. To date, the NIA has arrested and filed charges against six individuals in connection with this case.
The property, seized under Section 25 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) of 1967 (amended in 2008), is officially registered under the name of Minhaj’s father, Siraj Ahmad, as well as his mother and brother.
“Minhaj had been working closely with Adil Nabi Teli, also known as Musa, a terrorist associated with The Resistance Front, an affiliate of the proscribed terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba. Musa was killed in an encounter with security forces on March 16, 2022,” the NIA statement elaborated.
Investigations conducted by the NIA revealed that Minhaj had procured materials and components for constructing an IED within a pressure cooker, which was subsequently recovered from the premises.
He had also assembled a prototype IED in small quantities and conducted a controlled explosion (testing) on the rooftop of the house.
Minhaj had recorded a video of the IED’s creation and its controlled explosion, which he shared with Musa.
Additionally, he had prepared a petrol bomb and documented its production, as well as acquired a pistol and live ammunition, which were concealed in his room on the first floor of the house.
The NIA’s investigations, related to the radicalization and recruitment of members for AQIS (Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent), exposed Minhaj’s links to Musa. It was revealed that Minhaj had provided financial support to co-accused individuals with the intention of funding violent jihadist activities in the Kashmir region.
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