Kerala NIA team raids five locations in Coimbatore linked with suspected ISIS module
KOLKATA: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday conducted searches at five locations in Coimbatore based on the warrants issued by the NIA Special Court, Ernakulam, in connection with the ISIS Kerala-Tamil Nadu module case.
The case was registered by the NIA on March 30 against six accused from Coimbatore based on the information that these individuals and their associates were propagating the ideology of the proscribed terrorist organization ISIS on social media with the intention of recruiting vulnerable youth in the outfit and carrying out terrorist attacks in south India especially in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, said an official of the investigating agency.
"It was also learnt that some of the accused and their associates were in touch with the Sri Lankan ISIS leader Zahran Hashim and his accomplices, over social media with the intention of furthering the objectives of the ISIS in India," the official said.
The agency had earlier conducted searches at the houses of six accused in this case on June 12, 2019 and two of them Mohammed Azarudheen and Shiek Hidayathulla were arrested.
"During Thursday’s searches at the houses of five associates of the accused, digital devices including one laptop, five mobile phones, four SIM cards, one memory card, eight CDs/DVDs and a large number of incriminating documents have been seized," said the NIA official.
"The seized digital devices will be sent for forensic examination. The suspects are being examined regarding their association with the arrested accused persons and their involvement in the conspiracy, intended at furthering the objectives of ISIS," he added.