BENGALURU: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday raided multiple locations across Bengaluru in a case relating to radicalisation of prisoners by a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorist and life convict, T Nazeer, who was arrested for his involvement in the 2008 serial blasts in the city and is now in the Bengaluru central prison.
The NIA raided the houses of the four accused, including an absconder. The other locations raided were the premises related to two other suspects, who were arrested in the same case. The NIA teams seized digital devices, some incriminating documents and cash amounting to Rs 7.3 lakh during the raids conducted on the premises of Mohammed Umar, Mohammed Faisal Rabbani, Tanveer Ahmed, Mohammed Farooq and absconder Junaid Ahmed. Three accused are absconding in the case registered under various Sections of the IPC, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, and Explosive Substances Act, 1884.
In July, the city police arrested five alleged LeT suspects in RT Nagar and Hebbal police limits on charges of terrorism. Their interrogation led to the arrest of the sixth suspect in RT Nagar police limits in August. The police had seized arms and ammunition, including seven pistols, four hand grenades, one magazine and 45bullets, and four walkie-talkies.
The NIA had taken over the custody of the six arrested accused after taking over the case on October 25. The investigation revealed that Umar, Rabbani, Ahmed, Farooq and Junaid came in contact with Nazeer during their incarceration in the central prison. It was found that Nazeer had radicalised and recruited these individuals to commit terror acts. After their release from prison, the five accused, all of them habitual offenders, had conspired to commit terror acts under the leadership of Junaid and on directions from Nazeer, the NIA stated in a press release.
Junaid, who was absconding after being accused in a case related to the smuggling of red sandalwood in 2021, was in touch with the other accused through encrypted communication platforms. He had also provided funds to others for procuring arms and ammunition and kept them in their safe custody, the release said.