New Delhi, Sep 14 (IANS): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday arrested a key absconding Islamic State (IS) terror conspirator on arrival at New Delhi Airport from Nairobi, Kenya.

NIA has identified the accused as Arafath Ali.

"Ali was taken into custody the moment he landed at the Airport, marking a major breakthrough for the NIA in its efforts to uncover and foil the conspiracy of foreign-based modules of IS to carry out acts of terror and violence in India," NIA said.

NIA said that the accused had been absconding since 2020, he was accused of indulging in IS propaganda activities and planning terrorist activities.

The central agency said that the accused had since then been operating from abroad to promote the anti-India terror agenda of the IS.

It said that the accused, a resident of Shivamogga district of Karnataka state, was actively involved in the identification, radicalisation and recruitment of gullible Muslim youth into the IS fold while working from abroad.

NIA said that as part of the Shivamogga terror conspiracy case, one accused, named Mohamed Shariq, was on his way to plant a pressure cooker IED at Kadri Manjunatha Temple, Mangaluru. However, the IED exploded accidentally in an auto rickshaw.

It said that the accused had been in touch with the other accused persons in the case, and was actively involved in the planning and execution of the conspiracy.

NIA said that the accused was also responsible for the two Mangaluru graffiti cases of 2020, when, on his directions, two other accused, identified as Mohamed Shariq and Maaz Muneer Ahmed, had written “Don't force us to invite Laskhar-e-Toiba and Taliban to deal with Sanghis and Manvedis, LashkarZindabad” on the walls.

NIA said that further investigation into the matter is underway.