HYDERABAD: 19-year-old Mohd Abdul Qadeer, who was arrested along with Abdullah Basith by the NIA, could have carried out a massive attack if not arrested. Reportedly, large quantities of iron balls, liquid chloroform, chemicals like potassium chlorate and potassium nitrate in powder form, along with a soldering machine were recovered from his house.
Qadeer was attracted to ISIS after watching Basith’s interview in a news channel. He subsequently met the latter at a mosque in May 2017. Though Qadeer proposed to migrate (Hijrat) immediately to Syria, Basith advised him to wait for the right time.
In 2017, Basith gave Qadeer the telegram id of his handler Huzaifa Bakistani, instructing him not to talk unless he asks.
Qadeer, however, contacted Bakistani without Basith’s knowledge. After coming to know about the arrest of Yazdani group in 2016, Qadeer expressed his desire to make Hijrat at Khurasan, following which Basith directed him to Matin Azizi and asked him to help Qadeer. But Matin advised Qadeer to wait and arrange cash for Hijrat, found investigators.
“Abu Huzaifa al Bakistani” has been handling more than 10 youngsters through various online platforms. “The handle had been active since 2017, radicalising Indians and motivating them to work for ISIS,” said investigators.