NEW DELHI: The anti-terror probe agency NIA on Tuesday said it has conducted searches at seven locations in Thrissur and Kozhikode districts of Kerala in connection with a fugitive accused belonging to the proscribed terrorist organisation Jund Al Aqsa and is believed to be in Syria.
Officials in the agency said the houses searched are of Mohammed Faaz, Mohammed Ihthisham, Abdul Sameeh, Rayees Rehiman, Nabeel Mohammed, Mohamed Shaheen and Mohammed Ameer in the two districts.
On January 9, 2019 the NIA took up the case suo-motu and registered an FIR under various sections of Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act – UAPA against six accused persons namely Hashir Mohammed, a native of Ernakulam district of Kerala, Sidhikul Akbar, a native of Malappuram district of Kerala, Muhammed Irfan, a native of Kannur district of Kerala, Thaha Mohammed, a native of Shimoga district of Karnataka, Sultan Abdulla, a native of Kozhikode district, Kerala and Fayez Farooq, a native of Thrissur district, Kerala.
A senior NIA official said, “All of them while being in Qatar had conspired from 2013 onwards, conducted preparations and travelled to Syria and joined the proscribed terrorist organisations Jund AL Aqsa or Jabhat AL Nusrah.”
The official said investigation has revealed that Mohammed Faaz, Mohammed Ihthisham, Abdul Sameeh, Rayees Rehiman, Nabeel Mohammed, Mohammed Shaheen and Mohammed Ameer, while being in Qatar till early 2019, were in contact with accused Sidhikul Akbar and had provided funds to fugitive, based in Syria.
During searches, nine mobile phones, 15 SIM cards, one iPad, six laptops, three memory cards and various documents have been seized, he said, adding that further investigation in the case has been continuing.