Daijiworld Media Network - Azamgarh

Azamgarh, Sep 13: The Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) of the Uttar Pradesh Police has arrested a 19-year-old man from Azamgarh district for allegedly working for Al-Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent (AQIS), officials said on Saturday.

The accused, identified as Mohammad Nabeel, is the son of Mohammad Danish and a resident of Chitara Mahmoodpur under Didarganj police station limits. He was apprehended by the ATS earlier in the day and was allegedly communicating with AQIS members through coded messages.

According to officials, Nabeel was influenced by AQIS terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki, who allegedly sought to radicalise youths through social media. Nabeel allegedly attempted to add several youths to a WhatsApp group with an Arabic name with the intention of turning them into 'mujaheddins'.

Investigators found that several foreign nationals and people from Jammu and Kashmir were members of the group, which allegedly planned to arrange funds and carry out anti-India activities.

Officials said Nabeel allegedly sought to propagate AQIS's 'jihadi' ideology among youths and recruit them for anti-India activities. He also allegedly created groups on encrypted social media platforms to facilitate recruitment and raise funds.

A case has been registered against him under Sections 152 and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, and Sections 18 and 38 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967.

The ATS seized Nabeel's mobile phone and found that he had created a WhatsApp group named 'La Ghalib Illallah'. Investigators said he had shared extremist literature in the group, including 44 Ways to Support Jihad, attributed to Anwar al-Awlaki, and The Third World War and Dajjal, attributed to AQIS terrorist Maulana Asim Umar.

Investigators also found the use of coded terms such as 'trip', 'pen', 'juice' and 'project', allegedly referring to jihad, knives, chemicals and plans respectively.

Nabeel was also allegedly a member of a group called 'Flames of War', which had members from Saudi Arabia, Bangladesh and Myanmar. Officials said he was attempting to promote the 'Ghazwa-e-Hind' ideology and was planning to travel to Pakistan, Türkiye and Bangladesh for training. He was also allegedly preparing to undergo training in bomb-making.

Nabeel will be produced before a court, while further details are expected to emerge as the investigation progresses, officials said.