Kozhikode man tried to go to Syria via Georgia to join ISIS: NIA

The person is Muhammad Polakkani, 27, a native of Mankavu, who was deported from Georgia in September this year.
Mohammad Polakkani and Sidhikul Aslam being brought to the NIA Court in Kochi on Friday| A Sanesh
Mohammad Polakkani and Sidhikul Aslam being brought to the NIA Court in Kochi on Friday| A Sanesh

KOCHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) probing a case against Ansarul Khilafah Kerala, a group that followed the ideology of Islamic State (IS), has found that a Kozhikode native tried to reach Syria to join the terrorist group. The person is Muhammad Polakkani, 27, a native of Mankavu, who was deported from Georgia in September this year.

Polakkani and Sidhikul Aslam, 31, of Vembayam, Thiruvananthapuram, who was deported from Saudi Arabia last month, were produced at the NIA Court in Kochi on the expiry of their agency custody on Friday. Both were remanded to judicial custody and shifted to Viyyur High-Security Prison, Thrissur. 

The NIA filed a report detailing the duo’s role in the case. “Polakkani intended to join IS in Syria and flew to Georgia to go to Syria through Turkey for the purpose. He tried to cross the Georgia-Turkey border illegally and was caught by Georgian authorities in 2016. He was sentenced to undergo imprisonment and was in jail there,” the report stated. 

Similarly, during his study and stay in Coimbatore, he had propagated IS ideology among students and other persons. He was also a member of Telegram groups like The gate, Bab Al Noor, Play Ground and Darul Fikr, which were allegedly formed to propagate IS ideology and plan terror strikes. He used the name Harper Parker and later changed it to Izmamnik Biser as a member of the Telegram groups. 

Regarding Sidhikul Aslam, NIA claims he had attended a conspiracy meeting. He was using the name Abu Sireen in Telegram groups started by Ansarul Khilafah. “He attended a conspiracy meeting along with Swalih, Rashid, Ramshad and a suspect, Noushad Punathil, in Kozhikode. During the meeting, he gave a pen drive containing IS-related documents and videos to Rashid,” it said. 

The NIA will seek the custody of the duo as mobile phones and other electronic gadgets seized from them have been sent for forensic analysis. Similarly, due to Covid-19, other investigation procedures against them could not be completed.

In October 2016, NIA conducted a raid at Kanakamala in Kannur and arrested members of the group. Manseed, Swalih, Rashid, Safvan, Ramshad and Moinudheen were convicted by court last year. The NIA Court, in its judgment, stated they were not members of IS but followed its ideology and had been into terror-related activities. 

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