CHENNAI: The National Investigation Agency filed a chargesheet on Tuesday in a court in Chennai against 13 persons in connection with their involvement in fraudulent procurement and activation of SIM cards which was allegedly used to carry out ISIS terrorists activities in the country.
The accused were identified by NIA as Pachaiyappan, 37 of Kancheepuram district, A Rajesh, 34 of Chennai, T Anbarasan, 27, Abdul Rahiman, 44 Liyakath Ali, 29, of Salem, Mohammed Haneef Khan, 29, Imran Khan, 32, Mohammed Zaid, 24, Ejaz Pasha, 46, and Mahboob Pasha, 48, from Bengaluru and Khaja Mohideen, 52, from Cuddalore district.
A press release from the NIA said that investigations began after three men were arrested by the Tamil Nadu police's Q Branch in December 2019 at Bengaluru. The three were suspected to be part of an "ISIS terror network". The case was subsequently transferred to NIA, which is currently investigating it.
The release further added that based on a complaint filed in December 2019 by the Territorial Sales Manager, Airtel, Kancheepuram that some Airtel SIM cards were fraudulently activated using identity documents of various persons without their knowledge for unlawful gain. NIA said that the SIM cards were activated in Chennai and during subsequent investigation, it was found that similar fraudulent activation of Vodafone SIM cards were also done at Salem. The fraudulently activated SIM cards procured from Chennai and Salem were allegedly provided to Khaja Mohideen, a key conspirator and IS terrorist who used them for communicating with his associates and for procurement of illegal arms and ammunition for preparing and perpetrating IS activities in India.
NIA said that after the release of Khaja Mohideen on bail in a case relating to the murder of a Hindu leader, in February, 2019, he conspired with one Liyakath Ali with the intention of carrying forward the activities of IS in India.
They procured a large number of SIM cards fraudulently activated by Pachaiyappan from Kancheepuram, Rajesh from Chennai, Anbarasan and Abudul Rahman from Salem between September and December, 2019. Khaja Mohideen had radicalised his associates Mohammed Haneef Khan, Imran Khan, Mohammed Zaid, Ejaz Pasha, Hussain Shariff and Mahboob Pasha of Bengaluru on the violent extremist ideology of ISIS and to carry out their activities in India.
Khaja Mohideen and Mahboob Pasha are also accused of procuring through the co-conspirators, country-made firearms and prohibited ammunition besides jungle camping equipment, pursuant to their intention to establish a wilayah (province) of IS near forests in South India with a view to wage a violent jihad on behalf of the global terrorist organisation.
The NIA said it is further investigating the case.