NIA charges Kerala man who helped set up ISIS province in forests of South India

New Delhi, June 16: The National Investigation Agency has filed a chargesheet against an ISIS terrorist from Chennai. The case was first registered by the Q Branch CID, Chennai against Syed Ali, a resident of Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala.

The case arose following the arrest of a few persons who had conspired at Salem and Chennai who had fraudulently activated SIM cards by using multiple identity documents of various persons without their knowledge and consent.

The probe found that the SIM cards were used by the accused for terrorist activities. The NIA later took over the probe and found that the SIM were supplied to ISIS operatives Khaja Moideen and Liyakath Ali. Moideen along with the others had used these SIM cards to organise conspiracy meetings, recruit persons, collect prohibited arms and ammunition, procure jungle training equipment, raise funds and harbour their associates.

They were also making and testing IEDs, used the dark web for communications with their foreign based handler as part of the preparations to wage Jihad. They were also trying to establish a province of the ISIS in the forests of South India, the NIA said.

The NIA said that Syed Ali alias Vinjani (Scientist) is highly tech-savvy. He had assisted Moideen in using the dark web, encrypted communication to communicate with a foreign based handler and had also participated in conspiracy meetings and arranged safe hide-outs. In order to further this conspiracy, he had also procured explosive materials and gadgets to experiment with IEDs.