Mumbai: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted the raid in Padgha and Bhiwandi, adjacent to Mumbai, and arrested Aakif Nachan, the 6th suspect in ISIS Maharashtra Module "AL SUFA" Case. According to NIA sources, he was a close associate of Pune ISIS terror module, "AL-SUFA."
In his interrogation, he had given out a few Important names related to his Maharashtra-based ISIS terror module. The NIA is continuing with its search for other suspects.
Accused Aakif Nachan sheltered terrorists
According to a reliable source of the agency, suspect Aakif Nachan, a resident of Padgha, had allegedly given shelter to other IS suspects who had been arrested by the NIA in June in the ISIS terror Case. He helped them rent a shelter for the arrested terror accused, Zulfikar Ali Barodawala and Zuber Khan. Aakif had also allegedly facilitated the stay of arrested terror accused Imran and Yunus in a house in Kondhwa, Pune. He also financially supported them for ISIS terror operations and propaganda before their arrest.
Several incriminating materials, such as electronic gadgets and documents etc., were also seized during the raids by NIA from his house. Aakif was found actively involved in the promotion of terror-related activities of ISIS, a designated foreign terrorist organisation, in collaboration with four other accused arrested by NIA and ATS, along with some other suspects. Imran Khan and Mohammed Yunus Saki, members of ‘Al Sufa terrorist gang’ were absconding and had been declared ‘most wanted’ by the NIA in a case relating to the recovery of explosives from a car in Rajasthan in April 2022.
Nachan's strong link with AL SUFA
The NIA got reliable input that Nachan was very much connected with Imran Khan's IS module "AL SUFA". He had travelled to Ratlam and received IED explosive manufacturing training for two days at Imran Khan’s Ratlam-based poultry farm in February 2022. According to sources, Akeef Nachan not only sheltered terror accused but was also connected to "AL-SUFA. He was given the training to manufacture ED explosives, few months ago. Nachan travelled to Pune to meet the arrested accused, Mohammed Imran Mohammed Yusuf Khan (23), and Mohammed Yunus Yakub Saki(24) who was absconding in the Ratlam module case and also carried a reward of ₹5 lakhs before being arrested by the ATS.
According to NIA accused Aakif Nachan assembled IEDs and purchased materials and components for the fabrication of more IEDs, and organised and participated in bomb-making workshops in Kondhwa, Pune in 2022 and had also been involved in the preparation of a demo IED and conduct of a controlled explosion at this location. During the searches at suspect's house in Pune, the police recovered suspicious items,including a box with drone materials, a pistol pouch,a cartridge,white powder, fake Adhar Cards and other suspicious Documents. Few Days days ago, the NIA had arrested a Pune doctor in Adnanali Sarkar in same case.
Aakif planned to destroy communal harmony in India
As per NIA investigations, the accused Aakif had hatched a conspiracy to further the terrorist activities of ISIS (also known as Islamic State (IS)/Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL)/Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)/Daish/ Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP)/ISIS Wilayat Khorasan/Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham Khorasan (ISIS-K)). He had planned to commit terrorist acts to disturb the unity, integrity, security and sovereignty of the country, and wage a war against the Government of India.
This is the sixth arrest by NIA in the ISIS Maharashtra module case, relating to the ISIS conspiracy to disrupt the nation’s peace. The case was registered by NIA on 28th June, 2023. Last month, the NIA had arrested five accused, Tabish Nasser Siddiqui from Mumbai, Zubair Noor Mohammed Shaikh @ Abu Nusaiba from Pune, and Sharjeel Shaikh and Zulfikar Ali Barodawala from Thane and Dr. Adnan Sarkar from Kondhva, Pune. The arrests had followed extensive searches by the NIA in Mumbai, Thane and Pune.
NIA further investigation and search are underway.
