Updated
New Delhi, Jan 22 (PTI): In a major anti-terror swoop across the country ahead of Republic Day, 14 youths were arrested or detained by the NIA and other security agencies in the wee hours of today after they allegedly formed a module on the pattern of dreaded ISIS to carry out strikes at vital installations.
A possible attack may have been averted with the crackdown that came at a time when the country was in a state of heightened alert, as investigators questioned the arrested youths for possible links with the ISIS. Some of the youths are stated to be software engineers.
The raids were carried out simultaneously in five states of Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Uttar Pradesh where 14 people were "arrested or detained". They were part of a group named 'Janood-ul-Khalifa-e-Hind' (Army of Caliph of India), a terror group which has almost similar ideologies that of ISIS.
Najmul Huda (arrested in Mangaluru)
An official spokesman of the Union Home Ministry maintained that five people have been arrested "so far" and another nine have been detained while sources privy to the developments in Mumbai and Bangalore said eight people were detained besides the five arrests while one person has been let off. The sources said the eight detained people are likely to formally arrested tomorrow.
NIA gave the names of those arrested as Muttabir Mustaq Sheikh from Thane district near Mumbai, Mohammad Nafees Khan of Hyderabad, Mohammad Shareef Mounuddin Khan of Hyderabad, Najmul Huda of Mangaluru and Mohammad Afzal of Bangalore.
Family members of some of the arrested people claimed they have nothing to do with any terror plot and that they were innocent.
The NIA along with state police forces and central security agencies swooped on pre-determined areas in the wee hours of today and picked up these people, the sources said, adding they were planning to execute a terror strike.
Sheikh had designated himself as 'Ameer' (Chief) of the group and Huda as 'Ameer-e-Wyulat' (finance) and they were in touch on Internet with some persons believed to be from ISIS based in Syria, the sources said.
They said the people had been under surveillance for quite sometime and the decision to arrest them was taken as the group received 'instructions' for carrying out 'some sensational' attacks in the country.
All the youths, ranging between the age group of 25 to 30, are educated with some of them having completed studies in software engineering, the sources said.
The group had started receiving money through 'hawala' route and according to Home Ministry spokesman "Sheikh also received funds to the tune of Rs 6 lakh."
The raids were conducted in collaboration with police forces in all the states.
The NIA and central agency sleuths recovered laptops, explosive material, detonators, wires, batteries and hydrogen peroxide besides 'Jehadi literature', the sources said.
The sleuths also recovered 42 mobile phones including eight from Ameer of the newly formed terror group which had allegedly received hawala money from overseas, the sources said.
All the arrested accused were being brought to the national capital for detailed interrogation as preliminary enquiry indicated that there was a proper structure of the terror outfit.
The attempt of the group was to spread their activities to Hyderabad, Mumbai, Delhi, Assam, Bangalore, Uttrakhand and Karnataka, the sources said.
During last eight months, members of the group had visited some locations within the country and photographed some iconic installations, the sources said without identifying the places visited by them.
The Home Ministry spokesman said a total of 14 suspects were picked up in different states of which there were from Mumbai, four each from Hyderabad and Bengaluru and one each from Mangaluru, Tumakuru and Lucknow.
The spokesman said of the detained, some may be arrested while some may be let off, "depending on the investigation and information collected on them."
The Home Ministry spokesman said it was not immediately clear from where they received funds but added "all of them were somehow connected with one 'Yusuf', believed to be Safi Armar, a former member of Indian Mujahideen(IM).
The spokesman, while making attempts to downplay ISIS links, said online radicalisation is a worldwide phenomena. "We have been monitoring many people for their online activities."
"This is a larger group who have direct or cross link with Yousuf. His links with ISIS is subject of investigation as his location was not known as yet," he said, adding they were radicalised elements belonging to ISIS who could have joined some group.
Earlier Update
NIA raid in Mangaluru among 13 in country - 'Modi was target of accused'
Pics: Spoorthi Ullal
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (DV)
Updated
Mangaluru, Jan 22: Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the target of the suspected ISIS sympathiser who was arrested in an early morning operation by the National Investigative Agency (NIA) here on Friday January 22, police sources have revealed.
In a massive operation, the NIA on Friday raided 13 places across the country and Najmul Huda (25), arrested from his house at Permude, was one of the five arrested in the state. Among the others arrested were Syed Mujahideen Pasha from Tumakuru and Mohammad Afzal from Bengaluru.
In a press meet later, police commissioner Chandra Sekhar said that the NIA had asked assistance from Mangaluru city police and the required assistance was provided. He refused to divulge more details as it was NIA's investigation, and urged the media not to spread rumours.
Police sources said that the NIA had been keeping a close eye on Huda for the past six months and as per an NIA official, Huda was among the 'most wanted ISIS recruiters in the world'.
Prepared for a full-scale raid, nearly 75 police personnel including around 25 NIA officers from Kerala, DCPs and constables surrounded Huda's house at Permude at around 3.30 am. When NIA officers went in, they noticed Huda speaking on the phone, but on seeing them, he quickly threw away the phone and denied using it.
The officers then searched for the phone and found it lying under a shelf in the kitchen, and seized it. Huda tried to escape but as the police had surrounded the house, he could not get away. After 45 minutes of enquiry, he was arrested.
The officers seized Huda's laptop, five mobile phones, two pen drives and a few DVDs.
The police also found hard copies of 6 or 7 images of PM Narendra Modi in different poses in Huda's possession. An NIA official said that the PM was the target.
Police sources also said that Huda was also active in social media and would often communicate with others like him on Skype.
Huda's family, orginally from Bihar, settled in Mangaluru about 25 years ago. Huda studied at KPT and then pursued chemical engineering in Bengaluru, from which he dropped out. He was hunting for a job from the past few months, family sources said. He has three sisters.
He had also applied for passport which was being verified by the Bajpe police.
Speaking to media, his father said that Huda used to show some maps and would always be on phone, but that he was unaware of what his son was doing. "The police told me that my son had shared something in Facebook so he was being interrogated, and nothing else. The police came at around 2.30 am and searched the house, but did not find anything. They took his mobile phone but I do not know about the laptop. My son is not involved in any illegal activity and does not have any such friend either. I request the media not to put anything that would harm him."
His sister said that Huda was active on Facebook and whenever he came down on vacation, he used to spend a lot of time at mobile shop of his friend.
Police sources said that when Huda was being taken away after arrest, he turned to his mother and said, "I am sorry, I did a mistake".
Earlier Report
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Jan 22: A suspected ISIS sympathiser hailing from Bihar has been arrested in the city by National Investigative Agency with the help of the local police, sources said.
Najmul Huda (25) was arrested in the wee hours of Friday January 22 from a house in Permude, it is learnt.
Sources said that Huda was arrested on suspicions that he has links with the dreaded ISIS and was motivating youths to join the terror organization.
He was taken to an undisclosed location for interrogation and may be taken to Mumbai, sources said. Afternoon, he was also taken to Wenlock hospital for medical examination.
Sources said that the investigating teams also arrested four other suspected ISIS sympathisers in the state, among whom were Syed Mujahideen Pasha from Tumakuru and Mohammad Afzal from Bengaluru.
Huda had been an engineering student studying in a college in Bengaluru. His father is a teacher in a mosque, sources said.
Huda's mother claimed that her son was innocent. "He just finished his exams in Bengaluru and came down to the city a few days ago. He was at home all the time. He is studious and not involved in any wrongful activities. He is innocent," she said.