5 Held in NIA's Anti-Terror Raids Were Involved in Spreading ISIS Propaganda on Social Media: Intel

The five members of the ISIS module arrested from Karnataka and Jammu and Kashmir on Wednesday were involved in spreading ISIS propaganda on social media and influencing the youth for armed Jihad, according to the intelligence sources.

The module was also involved in radicalising Indian youth for armed Jihad, planning targeted assassination of select right-wing leaders, media personalities and mobilising funds for ISIS.

The IS module led by Mohammed Ameen from Malappuram, Kerala was neutralised first in March 2021. After the arrest of three on March 14-15, interrogation of arrested persons as well as data from the seized digital media was meticulously analysed for identification of other members of the module.

The module first came to the notice of intelligence agencies almost a year ago as they were found peddling large volumes of Islamist propaganda on an Instagram Channel, ‘Chronicle Foundation’, with over 5,000 members from across the world. Meticulous analysis of cyber intelligence led to agencies breaking the anonymity of the module members.

In the course of intelligence enquiry, it was established that the module had a pan-India network and some of the associated members were also planning to travel to IS-conflict theatres like Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Some of the members even unsuccessfully attempted to travel to Afghanistan via Iran in April 2019. They were also in contact with IS-Khorasan (ISKP) based handlers, including Rashid Abdullah (since killed in Afghanistan), and IS operatives based in Syria, Iraq and Africa through the Internet. The leader of the module, Ameen, even intended to travel to Pakistan and J&K to join terror groups.

Besides, they were also involved in raising funds for Jihadi activities and even transferred a portion of collected money to IS entities operating in J&K.

In a joint operation of the Intelligence Bureau, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the local police, those arrested in the raids on Wednesday were Deepthi Marla, Madesh Shankar, Mohammed Ammar from Bengaluru, and Obaid Hamid and Muzamil Hassan Bhat from Jammu and Kashmir. During the search operation NIA recovered digital media devices, Islamic State literatures, Knives, IS linked financial trails.

Deepthi is a converted Muslim and associated with IS-Khorasan and J&K-based handlers. She unsuccessfully tried to perform Hijrat (migration) to Khorasan, Afghanistan. She is suspected to be the mastermind behind radicalisation of arrested accused in the disrupted module. Madesh Shankar from Bangalore is suspected to be associated with IS-Khorasan and was involved in propagating IS ideology through social media. Mohammed Ammar from Ullal, Mangalore, was willing to perform Hijrat to IS conflict theatre in Khorasan, Afghanistan, but backed out at the last moment. Obaid Hamid from Srinagar was associated with IS operatives based in Khorasan and was planning to travel to IS conflict theatre. Muzamil Hassan Bhat from Bandipora helped in fundraising for IS module in J&K.

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