The National Investigation Agency on Thursday arrested two men, one from Tamil Nadu and one from Karnataka in connection with the alleged ISIS module in Bengaluru, which the NIA had busted in September this year. NIA said that the duo allegedly created a Quran Circle to radicalise Muslim youth in Bengaluru and also fund their trips to conflic-riddled zones in Syria, where they were to assist ISIS terrorists. NIA says that two such youths, who were sent abroad by the accused Abdul Ahamed Cader and Irfan Nasir, died fighting in Syria.
“Accused Ahamed Abdul Cader, Irfan Nasir and their associates played a very significant role in radicalization of the members of the Group (Quran Circle) and arranged funds through donations and own sources for visit of accused Abdur Rahman (another accused arrested in the case in September) and other Muslim youth of Bengaluru to Syria to join ISIS. Two of such youth got killed in Syria,” the NIA said in a statement.
Irfan Nazir is a rice merchant and resident of Frazer Town in Bengaluru and Ahamed Abdul Cader is an analyst at a bank in Chennai in connection with the case. The NIA conducted a search operation at the homes of the two accused and also seized alleged incriminating material.
The accused have been booked under sections 120B (party to a criminal conspiracy) and 125 (waging war against any asiatic power) of the Indian Penal code and relevant sections of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act. The duo have been remanded to NIA’s custody for 10 days by the Special NIA Court.
In September, the NIA busted Bengaluru-based ISIS module after obtaining information during interrogation of the accused in the Islamic State Khorasan Province case. In March this year, the NIA arrested a Kashmiri couple and claimed that they were members of the ISKP with the intent to create disaffection among the Kashmiri people against the Indian government. Upon interrogating the couple, the NIA on September 19, arrested Dr. Abdur Rahman alias Dr Brave, who was a PG student at MS Ramaiah Medical College. The NIA had said that he had allegedly been radicalised and had even visited Syria to help treat wounded ISIS terrorists.
The NIA said that during Abdur Rahman’s interrogation, the sleuths learned that Ahamed Abdul Cader and Irfan Nazir allegedly funded his trip to Syria to tend to ISIS fighters. The NIA alleged that the Cader, Nasir and their associates were members of Hizb-ut-Tahrir, an international organisation whose stated aim is to unite Muslims under one caliphate. Several countries including Russia and Indonesia have banned the organisation, as the countries claimed that their members were involved in terror-related activities.
NIA said that Abdul Cader and Irfan Nasir allegedly formed a group called 'Quran Circle', which allegedly radicalized Muslim youth in Bengaluru and also funded their visit to conflict-riddled zones in Syria to assist ISIS terrorists.