The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday arrested Boisar based Hamraz Shaikh and another person in a case related to conspiracy by terrorist organizations based in India and abroad to radicalize youth and provoke them to indulge in acts of violence and terrorism. Shaikh was detained by the NIA on Saturday and was questioned in connection with the case.
The agency had arrested Mohammad Arif resident of Thanisandra main road, Bengaluru, Karnataka and Hamraz Worshid Shaikh, resident of Boisar Palghar Road, Shiv Nagar Shiv Nagar Saravali, Thane, Maharashtra.
The NIA on Saturday had conducted searches at Thanisandra, Bengaluru and Palghar in Maharashtra respectively in NIA case with the active help of Karnataka and local police. During these searches, various digital devices and documents had been seized by the agency.
" NIA is probing Arif and Shaikh in a terror conspiracy case. Inputs had revealed that these two suspects were in contact with foreign based online handlers affiliated to proscribed terrorist organisations over encrypted communication platforms and that they were involved in a conspiracy to radicalise youth over social media platforms and provoke them to indulge in acts of violence and terrorism. Preliminary investigations have revealed that Arif and Shaikh had also made elaborate plans to leave for Afghanistan to progress their terrorist activities," the agency officials alleged.
The case was initially registered on July 24, last year Tilaknagar Police Station, Bengaluru, Karnataka and was re-registered by NIA on November 30.
In January this year, the NIA had filed a charge-sheet against two accused Akthar Hussain Laskar alias Mohammad Hussain from Assam and Abdul Aleem Mondal alias Mohammad Juba alias Mohammad Jubah a resident of West Bengal in NIA Special Court, Bengaluru in the case.
"Investigations revealed that Laskar and Mondal were affiliated with Al-Qaeda, a proscribed terrorist organisation. They were also in contact with online handlers based abroad through end-to-end encrypted communication platforms. Based on the directions of online handlers, the accused tried to recruit youth, to wage war against India by projecting that Indian forces are committing actrocities on Muslims in Kashmir and further they were planning to leave for Khorasan Province of Afghanistan for terrorist training. During investigations, lot of incriminating Jihadi materials were recovered at the instance of the accused," the agency officials claimed.
Another source said, "Laskar, had created Telegram groups - The Eagle of Khorasun and Hinder Eagle and had radicalised youths and thereby conspired to send the youths to Kashmir and Khorasan province of Afghanistan to undergo terrorist training and had provoked youths to wage war in the name of religion. Laskar is having links with entities, handlers from Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan for terror related activities."
