NIA raids at Chennai weeks after search ops at Coimbatore

Chennai, Sep 21: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is conducting raids at a location in Chennai.

The action comes two weeks after raids were conducted at five locations in Coimbatore city, Tamil Nadu in connection with an Islamic State-related case.

A case was registered by NIA against six accused persons from Coimbatore City, based on the information that these individuals and their associates were propagating the ideology of the proscribed terrorist organisation ISIS/ Daish on social media with the intention of recruiting vulnerable youth into this outfit and carrying out terrorist attacks in South India especially in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

It was also learnt that some of the accused persons and their associates were in touch with the Sri Lankan ISIS/ Daish leader Zahran Hashim and his accomplices, over social media, with the intention of furthering the objectives of the ISIS/ Daish in India.

The Agency had earlier conducted searches at the houses of six accused persons in this case, on June 12 and based on the incriminating facts revealed, two accused persons, Mohammed Azarudheen and Shiek Hidayathulla were arrested.

Now, during searches today at the houses of five associates of the accused persons, digital devices including 1 laptop, 5 mobile phones, 4 SIM cards, 1 memory card, and 8 CDs/ DVDs a large number of incriminating documents have been seized.