The radicalisation menace in Tamil Nadu was brushed aside for too long, until the NIA exposed it in 2014

New Delhi, Mar 02: The rise in radicalisation in Tamil Nadu has been a key concern for the security agencies. The topic has been for long brushed under the carpet and it was only in 2014 that the National Investigating Agency began a sustained campaign, following which several modules were busted and many were arrested.

Of the 177 arrests made by the NIA since 2014 in Islamic State related cases, Tamil Nadu at 34 accounted for the highest. Maharashtra 26 and Uttar Pradesh at 25 were the second and third. Kerala saw 19 arrests, while in the case of Telangana and Jammu and Kashmir, it was 17 and 11 respectively.

It is a well known fact that the first known ISIS related case was reported from Tamil Nadu in 2015.

Intelligence Bureau officials tell OneIndia that there are several factors behind the rise in radicalisation in Tamil Nadu. One key factor is that the issue was brushed under the carpet and for years, the radicalisation took place unabated.

The first known ISIS recruit from India was in fact a resident of Cuddalore. Haja Fakkruddin, it may be recalled had in early 2014 left for Syria through Singapore to be part of the ISIS. This was followed by a series of events related to the group and there was an image on the social media that went viral, in which several youth were seen posing with ISIS merchandise.

The threat of the ISIS has been looming large in the state and there are several pockets where the problem is severe. While looking into Haja's case, it was found that he was radicalised by a Cuddalore based group, .

Haja is not the only operative from Cuddalore to have joined the ISIS. A computer engineer was deported recently from Singapore. He said that it was he who had introduced Haja to this organisation, following which he was radicalised.

During the various searches, literature relating to the ISIS had been found. Speeches of the 20th century Islamist thinker Abul Ala Maududi have been found in the possession of several youth. Further the police have also seized compact discs which had the speeches of radical elements such as Anwar Al Awlaki and Abdul Raheem Green.

The first known ISIS recruit from India was in fact a resident of Cuddalore. Haja Fakkruddin, it may be recalled had in early 2014 left for Syria through Singapore to be part of the ISIS. This was followed by a series of events related to the group and there was an image on the social media that went viral, in which several youth were seen posing with ISIS merchandise.

The threat of the ISIS has been looming large in the state and there are several pockets where the problem is severe. While looking into Haja's case, it was found that he was radicalised by a Cuddalore based group.

Haja is not the only operative from Cuddalore to have joined the ISIS. A computer engineer was deported recently from Singapore. He said that it was he who had introduced Haja to this organisation, following which he was radicalised.

During the various searches, literature relating to the ISIS had been found. Speeches of the 20th century Islamist thinker Abul Ala Maududi have been found in the possession of several youth. Further the police have also seized compact discs which had the speeches of radical elements such as Anwar Al Awlaki and Abdul Raheem Green.