NIA conducts raids at eight locations in TN, Puducherry

CHENNAI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday morning carried out searches at eight different locations in Tamil Nadu and Puducherry in connection with a suspected ISIS terror funding case registered in February. The sleuths seized several pieces of documents and digital devices during the search. The local police accompanied the NIA team to prevent any untoward incident. 

On February 20, police arrested five individuals — Sadiq Basha, Jahabar Ali, Mohamed Ashiq, Mohamed Irfan, and Rahmath — from Mayiladuthurai after Sadiq Basha threatened Sub-Inspector Arivazhagan and his team with an air pistol during a vehicle check. At that time, police seized the air gun, one packet of pellets, cricket stumps, an iron rod, a metal nunchaku, a handcuff, a hard disk and the vehicle they were travelling in.

The NIA, which took over the case later, had claimed that the suspects intended to endanger the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country by forming anti-national organisations, viz. Khilafah Party of India, Khilafa Front of India, etc. The suspects were trying to spread ISIS ideology and to overthrow the government for establishing an Islamic Caliphate, it had said. The suspects were booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. This was the first case registered by NIA’s Chennai branch after its formation last year.

In Mayiladuthurai district, the agency searched two houses in Needur and Uthirangudi villages and three houses in Arivalur, Kiliyanur, and Elanthangudi villages. According to sources, the sleuths had split themselves into different teams, each interrogating the relatives of the suspects and searching the houses. In Karaikal, an NIA team searched the house of a relative of Mohamed Irfan on Kidar Palli Street.