KOCHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA), Kochi, has registered a case against five persons over suspected Islamic State (IS) links. The five were arrested by the police in Kannur in October, and the case was initially registered at the Valapattanam police station.
The five arrested are Midhilaj, 26, of Baithul Farsana, Valapattanam, Kannur; Abdul Rasak K V, 34, of Pandara Valappil House, Valapattanam; Rashid M V, 24, of M V House, Valapattanam; Manaf Rahman, 42, of Zainas, Thalassery, and Hamsa U K, 57, of Thoufeek, Thalassery.
“The NIA has registered case RC-02/2017/NIA/KOC at the NIA, Kochi, on December 16 under sections 38 and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, against the five persons,” said a release issued by the NIA.
The case was originally registered as Crime No 1010/2017 of the Valapattanam police station in Kannur district under sections 38 and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967, on October 25 against the five accused persons and others for being members of the proscribed terrorist organisation IS/Daesh and “for supporting the organisation by travelling out of India to join the terrorist organisation in Syria and fight on its behalf”, the release stated.
The police had said the five youths had gone to Turkey and stayed there for three to four months, before being captured by Turkish authorities while they were trying to cross the border to Syria.