Tag: NIA

  • Bengaluru`s Rameswaram Cafe Blast: 2 Key Suspects Abdul Matheen Taha, Mussavir Hussain Shazeb Apprehended By NIA Near Kolkata

    Abdul Matheen Taha, who is believed to be the mastermind behind the planning and execution of the blast, and Mussavir Hussain Shazeb, the accused who placed the IED at the Cafe, had been on the run since the incident. 

  • ‘Surgical strikes’ by central agencies must to curb anti-national activities in Bengal: Dilip Ghosh

    Senior BJP leader Dilip Ghosh believes that under the TMC regime, West Bengal is sitting on a ticking time bomb and security and central agencies need to conduct “surgical strikes” to curb anti-national activities in the bordering state. In an interview with PTI, Ghosh expressed concern over a deep-rooted nexus of financial scams and terror modules in the state and predicted heightened activities by central agencies after the elections are over.

    “West Bengal, a bordering state, has witnessed not only a deteriorating law and order situation but also incidents detrimental to national security. Uncovering of bomb-making factories and terror modules indicate that Bengal has become a haven for infiltrators and anti-national elements,” he said.

    Asserting that a significant demographic shift in border areas due to TMC’s alleged politics of appeasement, Ghosh claimed that national security is at stake under the Trinamool regime, since the ruling party lacks control over the state’s affairs. The former state BJP president said, “There exists an anti-national chain in West Bengal, encompassing not only terror modules but also various corruption cases.”

    He alleged that under the TMC regime, several areas resemble Sandeshkhali and Bhoopatinagar, where anti-national elements are allowed a free run.

    “The state is on the verge of an explosion, and it is imperative that security and central agencies must conduct surgical strikes to safeguard it,” Ghosh stressed. Allegations of sexual abuse against TMC leaders have emerged recently at Sandeshkhali in North 24 Parganas district. ED officials faced a mob attack there in January. At Bhoopatinagar in Purba Medinipur district too, an NIA team was allegedly attacked by a mob last week when it went to arrest two suspects in a 2022 blast case. Ghosh criticised the state police and CID for allegedly covering up these issues through biased investigations.

    Referring to Sandeshkhali and Bhoopatinagar, Ghosh accused the TMC of “playing with national security” and emphasized the BJP’s responsibility to protect the state.

    “After the elections are over, you will see how the central agencies unravel the conspiracy against the interests of the nation,” he said.

    Regarding the Citizenship Amendment Act, Ghosh questioned the TMC’s opposition to its implementation, saying “The CAA will clearly distinguish citizens from foreigners.”

    Ghosh asserted that the CAA will not only consolidate the Hindus in Bengal but also help the BJP sweep elections in the state.

    According to the CAA, the rules of which were notified on March 13, the government will grant Indian nationality to persecuted non-Muslim migrants – Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Parsis, and Christians – from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Afghanistan who arrived in India before December 31, 2014.

    On the anti-CAA protests that rocked parts of the state in 2019 after the law was passed by Parliament, Ghosh alleged those were engineered by infiltrators who are a voting bloc of the TMC.

    “The lungi party had come down to streets, burnt buses and public property to protest against the CAA. These people are capturing areas in Bengal and are eating into jobs of locals and facilities of the government,” he said.

    Asked about the possibility of a National Register of Citizens in the near future as apprehended by some opposition leaders, Ghosh said, “The NRC in Assam was done as per the Assam Accord and court order.”

    Assam witnessed a six-year-long agitation since 1979 demanding identification and deportation of illegal immigrants. The movement culminated in the signing of the Assam Accord.

    “The government did not do it on their own (in Assam). Now, if anyone moves court and wants NRC to be implemented and the court accepts the plea, then it might happen,” he said.

    Ghosh, an MP of the Medinipur Lok Sabha seat, who has now been shifted to Bardhaman-Durgapur constituency, has exuded confidence about his victory.

    “I am a loyal soldier of the party. Whatever assignment it gives me, I will accept it,” he said.

    Ghosh, when he was the West Bengal BJP head, led the party to significant electoral gains, overseeing its rise from two Lok Sabha seats in 2014 to 18 in 2019 and from three assembly seats in 2016 to 77 in 2021.

    Asked whether turncoats have a bigger say in the state of affairs in the BJP West Bengal unit, he said, “We were in a growing phase in Bengal and our local leaders and workers lacked experience. We had to bring in leaders from other parties to lead the party.”

    To a question, Ghosh said, “The party is accommodating both the old and new; that is how it is functioning in the entire country.”

    Ghosh, who is known for making controversial remarks had recently stirred a controversy by mocking the family background of Chief Minister and TMC supremo Mamata Banerjee in a purported video clip, said he believes in “calling spade a spade.”

    “I am a straightforward person, others might be wary of commenting on something. But I am not as I believe in politics, you need to speak in the language one understands,” he said.

  • NIA Team Probing Medinipur Blast Case Stopped By Protesters In West Bengal, Car Vandalised |

    Kolkata: In a distressing repetition of past events, a team from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) encountered stiff resistance in Purba Medinipur district, West Bengal, while conducting investigations related to a blast case on Saturday. The latest incident is reminiscent of a similar attack on the Directorate of Enforcement (ED) team in Sandeshkhali, North 24 Parganas where the officers were besieged and allegedly assaulted during a raid linked to an alleged food scam.

    According to sources within the NIA, the team dispatched to Purba Medinipur faced hostility during their probe into the blast case. Reports indicate that the vehicle transporting the NIA officers was targeted and vandalized amidst efforts to apprehend a suspect connected to the ongoing investigation.

    A video footage circulating on social media purportedly depicts residents gathering around the NIA vehicle, attempting to obstruct the apprehension of the suspect. The situation escalated as villagers resorted to pelting the vehicle with stones, further escalating tensions.

     

    #WATCH | West Bengal: NIA officers had to face protesters in Sandeshkhali while they were carrying out an investigation in connection with the Bhupatinagar, East Medinipur blast case. People allegedly tried to stop the NIA team from taking the accused persons along with them.… pic.twitter.com/UVoAO6uuPQ
    — ANI (@ANI) April 6, 2024

     

    Sandeshkhali, situated within the Sundarbans, has become a focal point of political discourse following allegations of sexual abuse and land encroachment against suspended TMC politician Shajahan Sheikh and his associates. The recent remarks by the Calcutta High Court condemning the events in Sandeshkhali also underscored the gravity of the situation.

    Earlier this year, Shahjahan Sheikh, the suspended TMC leader, triggered a political storm when an ED team conducting a raid at his residence in connection with a ration scam was met with mob violence. This incident came as a grim reminder of the escalating tensions and recurring confrontations in the region.

  • Manipur: Kuki-Zo groups demand release of arrested tribals within 48 hours

    By Express News Service

    GUWAHATI: Kuki-Zo organisations in strife-torn Manipur registered a protest on Monday against the arrest of five tribals by central agencies and demanded their release within 48 hours.

    Normal life came to a grinding halt in the Kuki-majority hill district of Churachandpur during an indefinite shutdown which was called by some tribal organisations. All shops and business establishments remained shut while vehicles were off the road. 

    The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had arrested four tribals, including two women, from Henglep in Churachandpur on Monday by intercepting a Bolero. The arrests were made in connection with the abduction and killing of two Meitei students. 

    Two minor girls – daughters of one of the arrested women and travelling in the vehicle – were also taken into custody. After the six persons were flown out of Manipur to Guwahati in Assam by the evening, the two children were handed over to the District Child Protection Officer, Kamrup Metro district in Guwahati for their care.

    The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had also arrested another tribal in a case related to a transnational conspiracy by insurgent groups based in Myanmar and Bangladesh to wage a war against India by exploiting the unrest in Manipur.

    The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) and the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) condemned the “selective haste” of the central agencies in arresting the persons.

    “If the CBI can act with such swiftness, why has it not arrested anyone in more heinous cases, like the rape and murder of two tribal girls in Imphal, burning of a 7-year-old tribal boy along with his mother and aunt, torture and beheading of a tribal youth, and so many other acts of atrocities against tribals?” the ITLF asked.

    The CoTU condemned the CBI and the NIA for their alleged attempt to bring “one-sided” justice. The tribal organisation said it was “compelled to impose an emergency shutdown” on National Highway 37 – the lifeline of Manipur – till the authorities expedite the safe release of one of the “abducted” persons “Satthang Kipgen”.

    Further, the organisation served an “ultimatum” on the home ministry to direct the central agencies to release the arrested persons within 48 hours, initiate a probe against “Meitei criminals” and convict them for “natural justice”.

    GUWAHATI: Kuki-Zo organisations in strife-torn Manipur registered a protest on Monday against the arrest of five tribals by central agencies and demanded their release within 48 hours.

    Normal life came to a grinding halt in the Kuki-majority hill district of Churachandpur during an indefinite shutdown which was called by some tribal organisations. All shops and business establishments remained shut while vehicles were off the road. 

    The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had arrested four tribals, including two women, from Henglep in Churachandpur on Monday by intercepting a Bolero. The arrests were made in connection with the abduction and killing of two Meitei students. googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    Two minor girls – daughters of one of the arrested women and travelling in the vehicle – were also taken into custody. After the six persons were flown out of Manipur to Guwahati in Assam by the evening, the two children were handed over to the District Child Protection Officer, Kamrup Metro district in Guwahati for their care.

    The National Investigation Agency (NIA) had also arrested another tribal in a case related to a transnational conspiracy by insurgent groups based in Myanmar and Bangladesh to wage a war against India by exploiting the unrest in Manipur.

    The Indigenous Tribal Leaders’ Forum (ITLF) and the Committee on Tribal Unity (CoTU) condemned the “selective haste” of the central agencies in arresting the persons.

    “If the CBI can act with such swiftness, why has it not arrested anyone in more heinous cases, like the rape and murder of two tribal girls in Imphal, burning of a 7-year-old tribal boy along with his mother and aunt, torture and beheading of a tribal youth, and so many other acts of atrocities against tribals?” the ITLF asked.

    The CoTU condemned the CBI and the NIA for their alleged attempt to bring “one-sided” justice. The tribal organisation said it was “compelled to impose an emergency shutdown” on National Highway 37 – the lifeline of Manipur – till the authorities expedite the safe release of one of the “abducted” persons “Satthang Kipgen”.

    Further, the organisation served an “ultimatum” on the home ministry to direct the central agencies to release the arrested persons within 48 hours, initiate a probe against “Meitei criminals” and convict them for “natural justice”.

  • NIA raids 53 places across country, detains suspects connected to Canada-based gangsters

    Express News Service

    CHANDIGARH: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday conducted raids at 53 locations in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Chandigarh and detained several suspects connected to a bunch of Canada-based gangsters.

    The gangsters include Arsh Dalla, Lawrence Bishnoi, Sukha Duneke, Harry Maur, Narender alias Lali, Kala Jatheri, and Deepak Tinu. 

    Pistols, ammunition, digital devices, and materials were seized during the day-long raids.

    These were the seventh in the series of such crackdowns launched by NIA following the registration of five cases since August 2022.

    The cases relate to conspiracies of targeted killings, funding for pro-Khalistan outfits, and extortion by the gangsters.

    Wednesday’s action focused on weapon suppliers, financiers and logistics providers associated with various gangs working with drug smugglers and terror outfits based in Pakistan, the UAE, Canada, Portugal and other countries.

    NIA probe revealed that conspiracies were hatched in jails of different states and were executed by a network of operatives based abroad. 

    READ MORE | 

    NIA crackdown on terror-gangster-smuggler nexus; several detained after raids in 5 states, 2 UTs

    Sukhdool Singh killing fallout: Punjab Police launch offensive on aides of wanted gangsters

    CHANDIGARH: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday conducted raids at 53 locations in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, and Chandigarh and detained several suspects connected to a bunch of Canada-based gangsters.

    The gangsters include Arsh Dalla, Lawrence Bishnoi, Sukha Duneke, Harry Maur, Narender alias Lali, Kala Jatheri, and Deepak Tinu. 

    Pistols, ammunition, digital devices, and materials were seized during the day-long raids.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    These were the seventh in the series of such crackdowns launched by NIA following the registration of five cases since August 2022.

    The cases relate to conspiracies of targeted killings, funding for pro-Khalistan outfits, and extortion by the gangsters.

    Wednesday’s action focused on weapon suppliers, financiers and logistics providers associated with various gangs working with drug smugglers and terror outfits based in Pakistan, the UAE, Canada, Portugal and other countries.

    NIA probe revealed that conspiracies were hatched in jails of different states and were executed by a network of operatives based abroad. 

    READ MORE | 

    NIA crackdown on terror-gangster-smuggler nexus; several detained after raids in 5 states, 2 UTs

    Sukhdool Singh killing fallout: Punjab Police launch offensive on aides of wanted gangsters

  • Suspected ISIS terrorist nabbed from Jharkhand’s Lohardaga

    Express News Service

    RANCHI: A joint team of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Delhi Police have arrested an Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist Faizan Ansari from Jharkhand’s Lohardaga. NIA sources claimed that he was in contact with the ISIS network within and outside the country through the dark net.

    Ansari was also said to be in contact with Pakistan’s intelligence agency. Later in the afternoon, he was produced before the NIA court and sent to Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi.

    A student of Aligarh Muslim University, Ansari was living with his family in Lohardaga for the last two months and was operating from there. He came in contact with the ISIS network while studying at Aligarh Muslim University. NIA, along with other agencies, is said to have kept a tab on his activities for the last few weeks.

    “Ansari was in regular contact with his handlers and was also trying to build a network in Jharkhand,” claimed NIA sources. Many incriminating videos, pen drives and other objectionable items related to radical Islamist ideology have been found from Ansari, they added.

    As per the information received, the terrorist organization was trying to set up a strong network in Jharkhand and was in contact with several youths in and outside Lohardaga in Jharkhand.

    His father Firoz Ansari, originally from Bihar, is working with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) on a contractual basis and had been living in Lohardaga for the last 20 years after constructing a house. After the arrest of Fizan Ansari, his parents and other family members went elsewhere after locking the house.

    RANCHI: A joint team of the Intelligence Bureau (IB), National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Delhi Police have arrested an Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist Faizan Ansari from Jharkhand’s Lohardaga. NIA sources claimed that he was in contact with the ISIS network within and outside the country through the dark net.

    Ansari was also said to be in contact with Pakistan’s intelligence agency. Later in the afternoon, he was produced before the NIA court and sent to Birsa Munda Central Jail in Ranchi.

    A student of Aligarh Muslim University, Ansari was living with his family in Lohardaga for the last two months and was operating from there. He came in contact with the ISIS network while studying at Aligarh Muslim University. NIA, along with other agencies, is said to have kept a tab on his activities for the last few weeks.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “Ansari was in regular contact with his handlers and was also trying to build a network in Jharkhand,” claimed NIA sources. Many incriminating videos, pen drives and other objectionable items related to radical Islamist ideology have been found from Ansari, they added.

    As per the information received, the terrorist organization was trying to set up a strong network in Jharkhand and was in contact with several youths in and outside Lohardaga in Jharkhand.

    His father Firoz Ansari, originally from Bihar, is working with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited (BSNL) on a contractual basis and had been living in Lohardaga for the last 20 years after constructing a house. After the arrest of Fizan Ansari, his parents and other family members went elsewhere after locking the house.

  • NIA nabs 2 wanted associates of Canasa-based listed terrorist

    By IANS

    NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two wanted close associates of Canada-based listed terrorist Arsh Dhalla when they arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) from Manila, Philippines, where they had been hiding, an official said on Friday.

    A senior NIA official said that the accused were identified as Amritpal Singh Hayer alias Ammy and Amritk Singh. Both hail from Punjab.

    Recently, non-bailable warrants were issued against them by Delhi’s NIA court in connection with a case related to the unlawful and violent activities of banned organisations in India.

    “They are also wanted in several criminal cases that took place in Punjab. The NIA had registered a suo motu case on August 20 last year under various sections of the IPC and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, against them,” the official said.

    The NIA said that their investigations have revealed that the accused had entered into a criminal conspiracy to raise funds for the banned terrorist organisation Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), and also smuggle arms, ammunition and explosives for it from across the border.

    “The accused had been working for individual designated terrorist Arshdeep Singh Dhalla to promote violent criminal activities of the KTF in India. In association with another notorious wanted accused Manpreet Singh alias Peeta, they had been involved in smuggling weapons from Pakistan and recruitment of youth to carry out acts of violence and terror in the country at the behest of the KTF. They were also part of an extortion racket for raising funds for the banned outfit. The accused used to identify extortion targets, including businessmen, and then threaten them into parting with huge amounts. In case the identified targets refused, their homes and other premises would be fired at by the accused’s India-based associates,” the official said.

    Further investigations in the case are on.

    NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two wanted close associates of Canada-based listed terrorist Arsh Dhalla when they arrived at the Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) from Manila, Philippines, where they had been hiding, an official said on Friday.

    A senior NIA official said that the accused were identified as Amritpal Singh Hayer alias Ammy and Amritk Singh. Both hail from Punjab.

    Recently, non-bailable warrants were issued against them by Delhi’s NIA court in connection with a case related to the unlawful and violent activities of banned organisations in India.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    “They are also wanted in several criminal cases that took place in Punjab. The NIA had registered a suo motu case on August 20 last year under various sections of the IPC and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, against them,” the official said.

    The NIA said that their investigations have revealed that the accused had entered into a criminal conspiracy to raise funds for the banned terrorist organisation Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF), and also smuggle arms, ammunition and explosives for it from across the border.

    “The accused had been working for individual designated terrorist Arshdeep Singh Dhalla to promote violent criminal activities of the KTF in India. In association with another notorious wanted accused Manpreet Singh alias Peeta, they had been involved in smuggling weapons from Pakistan and recruitment of youth to carry out acts of violence and terror in the country at the behest of the KTF. They were also part of an extortion racket for raising funds for the banned outfit. The accused used to identify extortion targets, including businessmen, and then threaten them into parting with huge amounts. In case the identified targets refused, their homes and other premises would be fired at by the accused’s India-based associates,” the official said.

    Further investigations in the case are on.

  • NIA chargsheets 68 in PFI cases of Kerala, TN

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday filed two chargesheets against 68 Popular Front of India (PFI) leaders, cadres and members in two separate cases in Kochi (Kerala) and Chennai (Tamil Nadu). The charges against them include “conspiring to carry out acts of terror and violence with the ultimate objective of establishing an Islamic Rule in India by 2047.”

    According to NIA sources, the chargesheets filed Friday in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the two states where PFI is active, relate to separate “criminal conspiracies” relating to creating a wedge between people of different communities through radicalisation of impressionable Muslim youth, providing them with training in handling of weapons, and raising funds for carrying out acts of terror and violence with the ultimate objective of establishing an Islamic Rule in India by 2047.

    With these, the total number of chargesheets filed by NIA against PFI cadres this month has gone up to four. The first such chargesheet was filed in Jaipur on March 13 and the second in Hyderabad on March 16.

    The Kerala PFI case was registered in September 2022.

    The chargesheet was filed in the Special Court for NIA Cases, Ernakulam, against the PFI as an organisation and 58 other accused persons. NIA had arrested 16 of the accused after taking over the case in 2022, while the others were arrested earlier by Kerala Police. More than 100 locations across the state were raided in connection with the case. The NIA has also attached 17 properties as they were identified as ‘proceeds of terrorism’ and frozen 18 bank accounts of the accused during the course of its investigations.

    In a similar case registered and investigated by NIA’s Chennai branch in Tamil Nadu, the agency filed a chargesheet against 10 accused. 

    NIA investigations allegedly revealed that to achieve their objectives, PFI had established various wings & units including the “physical and arms training wing.” 

    The PFI was allegedly using its various campuses, facilities and infrastructure to impart arms training to selected cadres in the guise of physical education, Yoga training, etc. 

    NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday filed two chargesheets against 68 Popular Front of India (PFI) leaders, cadres and members in two separate cases in Kochi (Kerala) and Chennai (Tamil Nadu). The charges against them include “conspiring to carry out acts of terror and violence with the ultimate objective of establishing an Islamic Rule in India by 2047.”

    According to NIA sources, the chargesheets filed Friday in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the two states where PFI is active, relate to separate “criminal conspiracies” relating to creating a wedge between people of different communities through radicalisation of impressionable Muslim youth, providing them with training in handling of weapons, and raising funds for carrying out acts of terror and violence with the ultimate objective of establishing an Islamic Rule in India by 2047.

    With these, the total number of chargesheets filed by NIA against PFI cadres this month has gone up to four. The first such chargesheet was filed in Jaipur on March 13 and the second in Hyderabad on March 16.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The Kerala PFI case was registered in September 2022.

    The chargesheet was filed in the Special Court for NIA Cases, Ernakulam, against the PFI as an organisation and 58 other accused persons. NIA had arrested 16 of the accused after taking over the case in 2022, while the others were arrested earlier by Kerala Police. More than 100 locations across the state were raided in connection with the case. The NIA has also attached 17 properties as they were identified as ‘proceeds of terrorism’ and frozen 18 bank accounts of the accused during the course of its investigations.

    In a similar case registered and investigated by NIA’s Chennai branch in Tamil Nadu, the agency filed a chargesheet against 10 accused. 

    NIA investigations allegedly revealed that to achieve their objectives, PFI had established various wings & units including the “physical and arms training wing.” 

    The PFI was allegedly using its various campuses, facilities and infrastructure to impart arms training to selected cadres in the guise of physical education, Yoga training, etc. 

  • NIA busts multi-state hawala network funding PFI terror activities; five arrested

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: The NIA on Tuesday claimed to have busted a multi-state hawala network funding the Popular Front of India’s terror activities with the arrest of five members of the banned outfit in Karnataka and Kerala.

    The agency said despite the ban imposed on it on September 27 last year, PFI leaders and members continued to propagate the ideology of violent extremism and were also arranging arms and ammunition to commit crimes.

    “NIA teams have been carrying out extensive searches in Kasargod (Kerala) and Dakshin Kannada, Karnataka, since Sunday. Searches were conducted at eight locations leading to the seizure of multiple digital devices and incriminating documents containing details of transactions running into several crores of rupees,” a spokesperson of the agency said.

    The official said Popular Front of India (PFI) members Mahammad Sinan, Sarfraz Nawaz, Iqbal and Abdul Rafeek M of Karnataka and Abid K M of Kerala have been arrested.

    The arrest followed tracing and tracking of funds being moved by the PFI across the country, especially in Kerala, Karnataka and Bihar, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) spokesperson said, adding that the agency’s investigations into the Phulwarisharif PFI case of Bihar have led to the unearthing of a large network of hawala operatives in south India.

    “A PFI funding-by-hawala module operating out of Bihar and Karnataka with roots in the UAE has been busted with the arrests of the five operatives,” the official said.

    “PFI cadres in Phulwarisharif and Motihari had vowed to continue PFI activities in a clandestine manner in Bihar and had also arranged a firearm and ammunition recently to eliminate a youth of a particular community in Bihar’s East Champaran district. Three operatives of the module had been arrested on February 5,” the spokesperson said.

    The official said people arrested from Karnataka and Kerala have been found to be actively involved in PFI’s criminal conspiracy to move and channelise illicit funds procured from outside India for distribution among leaders and members of the banned group.

    Earlier, seven accused persons had been arrested when they had gathered in the Phulwarisharif area of Bihar’s Patna in July last year for training and to carry out acts of terror and violence, the spokesperson said.

    Pursuing leads since July last year, the official said the NIA team found that despite the ban on its activities in September last year, the PFI continued to propagate the ideology of violent extremism and were also arranging arms and ammunition to commit crimes.

    Following the leads, the official said, the NIA investigators reached Nawaz and Sinan, who had been found making deposits in the bank accounts of the accused and suspects in the PFI case.

    “Dogged pursuit of the money trail and connecting the dots, the NIA managed to unravel the international conspiracy and linkages to the funds while investigating Iqbal and other associates who had collected illegally generated funds from Dubai and Abu Dhabi and handed them over to Sinan, Nawaz, Rafeek and Abid in India,” the spokesperson said.

    “Investigations have shown that Sarfaraz, Sinan and Rafeek deposited this money in different bank accounts of the accused and the suspects,” the official said.

    The NIA said further investigations are on track to trace and choke international as well domestic illicit funding channels of the PFI.

    The five accused will be produced in the NIA Special Court Patna, the spokesperson said.

    NEW DELHI: The NIA on Tuesday claimed to have busted a multi-state hawala network funding the Popular Front of India’s terror activities with the arrest of five members of the banned outfit in Karnataka and Kerala.

    The agency said despite the ban imposed on it on September 27 last year, PFI leaders and members continued to propagate the ideology of violent extremism and were also arranging arms and ammunition to commit crimes.

    “NIA teams have been carrying out extensive searches in Kasargod (Kerala) and Dakshin Kannada, Karnataka, since Sunday. Searches were conducted at eight locations leading to the seizure of multiple digital devices and incriminating documents containing details of transactions running into several crores of rupees,” a spokesperson of the agency said.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    The official said Popular Front of India (PFI) members Mahammad Sinan, Sarfraz Nawaz, Iqbal and Abdul Rafeek M of Karnataka and Abid K M of Kerala have been arrested.

    The arrest followed tracing and tracking of funds being moved by the PFI across the country, especially in Kerala, Karnataka and Bihar, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) spokesperson said, adding that the agency’s investigations into the Phulwarisharif PFI case of Bihar have led to the unearthing of a large network of hawala operatives in south India.

    “A PFI funding-by-hawala module operating out of Bihar and Karnataka with roots in the UAE has been busted with the arrests of the five operatives,” the official said.

    “PFI cadres in Phulwarisharif and Motihari had vowed to continue PFI activities in a clandestine manner in Bihar and had also arranged a firearm and ammunition recently to eliminate a youth of a particular community in Bihar’s East Champaran district. Three operatives of the module had been arrested on February 5,” the spokesperson said.

    The official said people arrested from Karnataka and Kerala have been found to be actively involved in PFI’s criminal conspiracy to move and channelise illicit funds procured from outside India for distribution among leaders and members of the banned group.

    Earlier, seven accused persons had been arrested when they had gathered in the Phulwarisharif area of Bihar’s Patna in July last year for training and to carry out acts of terror and violence, the spokesperson said.

    Pursuing leads since July last year, the official said the NIA team found that despite the ban on its activities in September last year, the PFI continued to propagate the ideology of violent extremism and were also arranging arms and ammunition to commit crimes.

    Following the leads, the official said, the NIA investigators reached Nawaz and Sinan, who had been found making deposits in the bank accounts of the accused and suspects in the PFI case.

    “Dogged pursuit of the money trail and connecting the dots, the NIA managed to unravel the international conspiracy and linkages to the funds while investigating Iqbal and other associates who had collected illegally generated funds from Dubai and Abu Dhabi and handed them over to Sinan, Nawaz, Rafeek and Abid in India,” the spokesperson said.

    “Investigations have shown that Sarfaraz, Sinan and Rafeek deposited this money in different bank accounts of the accused and the suspects,” the official said.

    The NIA said further investigations are on track to trace and choke international as well domestic illicit funding channels of the PFI.

    The five accused will be produced in the NIA Special Court Patna, the spokesperson said.

  • Kanpur terror conspiracy case: Seven ‘ISIS operatives’ awarded death sentence, one gets lifer

    Express News Service

    LUCKNOW: A special NIA court in Lucknow Tuesday awarded death sentence to seven suspected Islamic State (ISIS) operatives and life term to one in connection with the Kanpur terror conspiracy case.

    The self-radicalized convicts awarded death sentences, included Mohammad Faisal, Gaus Mohammad Khan, Mohammad Azhar, Atiq Muzaffer, Mohammad Danish, Mohammad Sayyed Meer Hussain, and Asif Iqbal. One Mohammad Atif alias Asif Irani was awarded life imprisonment.

    All eight convicts were arrested in Kanpur in 2017 in connection with planning terror acts. Delivering the sentence, Special NIA court judge VS Tripathi observed that the case fell in the rarest of rare category and the convicts were entitled to the severest punishment.

    The FIR in the case was registered at ATS police station in Lucknow on March 8, 2017. In fact, ATS had got information about the plan of the members of the banned terror outfit ISIS to carry out blasts at different places across the country. Kanpur ATS first arrested Mohammad Faisal and later his disclosures led the ATS sleuths to nab the others.

    As per the public prosecutor, the accused had conducted a test blast at Ganga Ghat in Unnao. The probe also claimed that the accused had the plan to blast Kanpur-Unnao railway track and a bomb was planted there also. They had also planted bombs at different places during the Dussehra celebrations.

    ATS had filed the charge sheet in the case on August 31, 2017 and had included one Saifulla also. Saifullah was later killed in an encounter in the Dubagga area of the state capital on March 7, 2017.

    According to public prosecutor KK Sharma,  all seven convicts who were given death sentence were convicted under Section 121 (waging war against the country) of IPC along with charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Arms Act and the Explosive Substances Act.

    While Mohammed Atif Irani, who has been given life sentence, was convicted under section 121 (A) (conspiracy) of IPC along with the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Arms Act and the Explosive Substances Act.

    The NIA investigations revealed that the accused had prepared and tested some IEDs and had unsuccessfully tried to plant them at various locations in the state. The NIA had seized a notebook from their Haji Colony (Lucknow) hideout with details over potential targets and the science of bomb-making. Investigations had also led to the discovery of several photographs of the accused making IEDs and even with weapons, ammunition along with ISIS flag.

    In fact, the convicts were also involved in explosion on Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train on March 7, 2017, which left 10 people injured. The case in the train blast case was still on.

    LUCKNOW: A special NIA court in Lucknow Tuesday awarded death sentence to seven suspected Islamic State (ISIS) operatives and life term to one in connection with the Kanpur terror conspiracy case.

    The self-radicalized convicts awarded death sentences, included Mohammad Faisal, Gaus Mohammad Khan, Mohammad Azhar, Atiq Muzaffer, Mohammad Danish, Mohammad Sayyed Meer Hussain, and Asif Iqbal. One Mohammad Atif alias Asif Irani was awarded life imprisonment.googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.display(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); });

    All eight convicts were arrested in Kanpur in 2017 in connection with planning terror acts. Delivering the sentence, Special NIA court judge VS Tripathi observed that the case fell in the rarest of rare category and the convicts were entitled to the severest punishment.

    The FIR in the case was registered at ATS police station in Lucknow on March 8, 2017. In fact, ATS had got information about the plan of the members of the banned terror outfit ISIS to carry out blasts at different places across the country. Kanpur ATS first arrested Mohammad Faisal and later his disclosures led the ATS sleuths to nab the others.

    As per the public prosecutor, the accused had conducted a test blast at Ganga Ghat in Unnao. The probe also claimed that the accused had the plan to blast Kanpur-Unnao railway track and a bomb was planted there also. They had also planted bombs at different places during the Dussehra celebrations.

    ATS had filed the charge sheet in the case on August 31, 2017 and had included one Saifulla also. Saifullah was later killed in an encounter in the Dubagga area of the state capital on March 7, 2017.

    According to public prosecutor KK Sharma,  all seven convicts who were given death sentence were convicted under Section 121 (waging war against the country) of IPC along with charges under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Arms Act and the Explosive Substances Act.

    While Mohammed Atif Irani, who has been given life sentence, was convicted under section 121 (A) (conspiracy) of IPC along with the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, Arms Act and the Explosive Substances Act.

    The NIA investigations revealed that the accused had prepared and tested some IEDs and had unsuccessfully tried to plant them at various locations in the state. The NIA had seized a notebook from their Haji Colony (Lucknow) hideout with details over potential targets and the science of bomb-making. Investigations had also led to the discovery of several photographs of the accused making IEDs and even with weapons, ammunition along with ISIS flag.

    In fact, the convicts were also involved in explosion on Bhopal-Ujjain passenger train on March 7, 2017, which left 10 people injured. The case in the train blast case was still on.