Staff Reporter
Guwahati: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday conducted extensive simultaneous searches at multiple locations across the country, including Assam, in connection with the activities promoted by some Bangladeshi nationals as part of terror group Al-Qaeda’s conspiracy to destabilise India. Besides Assam, the NIA conducted searches in Tripura and four other states.
The crackdown was conducted at nine locations linked with individuals suspected of supporting and funding the activities of the proscribed terrorist organisation Al-Qaeda and started early in the morning in the states of Assam, Tripura, West Bengal, Bihar, Jammu and Kashmir, and Karnataka.
The searches led to the recovery of incriminating documents showing detailed banking transactions, digital devices, including mobile phones, and other evidence related to terror funding activities.
As per NIA investigations, the suspects whose premises were raided are sympathisers of a Bangladesh-based Al-Qaeda network.
The searches were part of the NIA’s ongoing investigations into a 2023 case pertaining to a conspiracy orchestrated by Bangladesh-based Al-Qaeda operatives in collaboration with the arrested individuals. The conspiracy was aimed at propagating Al-Qaeda’s terrorist activities and radicalising gullible youths in India.
In November last year, NIA filed a chargesheet against five accused, including four Bangladeshi nationals, identified as Mohd. Sojibmiyan, Munna Khalid Ansari @ Munna Khan, Azarul Islam @ Jahangir or Aakash Khan, Abdul Latif @ Mominul Ansari. The fifth accused, Farid, is an Indian national.
NIA investigations into their antecedents had revealed that the accused had procured forged documents to carry out their activities covertly. They were actively involved in radicalising and motivating vulnerable Muslim youth in India, spreading Al-Qaeda’s violent ideology, collecting funds, and transferring these funds to Al-Qaeda.
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