ANANTAPUR/VIJAYAWADA: In a joint operation carried out based on specific intelligence that several Muslim youths were being lured into terrorist activities, the Intelligence Bureau (IB), National Investigation Agency (NIA), and Dharmavaram police on Saturday nabbed a person named Noor Mohammed Sheik, suspected to be a member of the banned Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), a Pakistan-based jihadist Islamic group.
During the operation, police raided his house and seized 19 SIM cards of different numbers from his possession. The arrested youth, Noor, is suspected of having close ties with terrorist groups and was an active member of several WhatsApp groups posting anti-national posts and messages.
Speaking to media persons, In-charge Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) U Narsingappa said the arrested youth resides in Kota Colony in Dharmavaram town and works as a cook in a hotel in the same town. While monitoring potential terrorist activities in the region, NIA officials observed Noor’s suspicious activities and immediately kept a watch on him.
‘He is attracted by terrorist literature’
During their observation, Noor was found to be indulging in anti-social activities and promoting terrorism through his preachings, infusing the same into young Muslim youths in the region by creating WhatsApp groups.
The NIA and local police had been keeping a close watch on the movements of several suspects following the recent arrest of two militants from Rayachoti town in Annamayya district, which led them to Noor Mohammed.
The accused was later shifted to an undisclosed location where the police are collecting details such as his social media postings, WhatsApp groups belonging to the banned terrorist organization Jaish-e-Mohammed, and internal groups with local Muslim youths.
“Noor is attracted to and influenced by terrorist literature,” the DSP said. “We have found that he is actively participating in a WhatsApp group run by Jaish-e-Mohammed. In addition, we have found that he is a member of WhatsApp groups related to some other banned terrorist groups. He arranged phone calls and classes for Muslim youths from Pakistani terrorist organizations through WhatsApp calls.”
The DSP added that the investigation is ongoing to trace the admins of WhatsApp groups and others involved.