NIA conducts searches in TN in ISIS Kerala-TN case

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday carried out searches at two locations at  Thanjavur and Tiruchirapalli in Tamil Nadu, based on warrants issued by the Ernakulam NIA Special Court.

The case  was registered suo motu by  NIA on May 30  against six accused from Coimbatore, based on the information that the accused and their associates have been propagating the ideology of the proscribed terrorist organisation ISIS or  Daish on social media, with the intention of recruiting vulnerable youth into the proscribed terror organisation to carry out terrorist attacks in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the NIA said in a statement here. 

It was also learnt that some of the accused and their associates were following Sri Lankan ISIS  leader Zahran Hashim and his associates, over social media, with the intention of furthering the objectives of the terrorist outfit in the country.

After registration of the case, searches were conducted on  June 12, at the houses of the accused in Coimbatore and based on the incriminating facts revealed, Mohammed Azarudheen  and Shiek Hidayathulla  were arrested.

In the search conducted on November 30 at the houses of Alavudeen, resident of Thanjavur and S Sarfudeen resident of Tiruchirapalli, digital devices, including two  laptops, six mobile phones, 11 SIM cards, one pen drive, a hard  disc, one memory card, five CDs and  DVDs, one axe besides 17 documents, have been seized.

The seized items, including digital devices, will be submitted to the NIA Special Court, Ernakulam and the digital devices subjected to forensic examination, the probe agency said. 

The suspects are being examined to ascertain their association with the accused, besides their involvement in any unlawful activity, intended at furthering the objectives of ISIS, the agency added.(UNI)