4 arrested al-Qaeda terrorists were in contact with Pak handlers: NIA

NEW DELHI: In a major breakthrough, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday morning busted a terror module linked to global terror group Al-Qaeda. The terror module was busted following coordinated raids by the NIA in West Bengal’s Murshidabad and Ernakulam in Kerala.

The NIA this morning carried out searches following specific inputs about the presence of some members of the Al Qaeda linked terror module at multiple location across West Bengal and Kerala. The central agency arrested nine suspected terrorists of the banned terror organisation Al-Qaeda.

The anti-terror probe agency officials said that the arrests were made after raids in West Bengal`s Murshidabad and Kerala`s Ernakulam based on some intelligence input about the presence of the terrorists there.

“As per the preliminary investigation, these individuals were radicalised by Pakistan-based al-Qaeda terrorists on the social media and were motivated to undertake attacks at multiple places including the National Capital Region,” the NIA said in a statement.

Furthermore, the terror module actively raised funds and was planning to travel to Delhi procure arms and ammunition. “The module was actively indulging in fundraising and a few members of the gang were planning to travel to New Delhi to procure arms and ammunition. These arrests have pre-empted possible terrorist attacks in various parts of the country,” the NIA said.

The anti-terror probe agency has recovered several incriminating materials from the terrorists, including firearms, body armours and explosive devices.

“A large number of incriminating materials, including digital devices, documents, jihadi literature, sharp weapons, country-made firearms, a locally fabricated body armour, articles and literature used for making home-made explosive devices have been seized from their possession,” the statement further said.

​The details of the arrested accused are as under: - (i)​Murshid Hasan, currently a resident of Ernakulam, Kerala; (ii)​Iyakub Biswas, currently a resident of Ernakulam, Kerala;  

(iii)​Mosaraf Hossen, currently a resident of Ernakulam, Kerala; (iv)​Najmus Sakib, a resident of Murshidabad, West Bengal;  (v) Abu Sufiyan, a resident of Murshidabad, West Bengal;              (vi)​Mainul Mondal, a resident of Murshidabad West Bengal; (Vii)​Leu Yean Ahmed, a resident of Murshidabad, West Bengal; (Viii)​ Al Mamun Kamal, a resident of Murshidabad, West Bengal;

(Ix) ​Atitur Rehman, a resident of Murshidabad, West Bengal.

​The arrested terrorists will be produced before the concerned Courts in Kerala and West Bengal for police custody and further investigation.