Hyderabad: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday, November 11, conducted extensive simultaneous searches at multiple locations across the country in connection with the alleged activities promoted by Bangladeshi nationals as part of the terror group al-Qaeda’s conspiracy to destabilise India.
The NIA team conducted searches in six states including Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka, West Bengal, Bihar, Tripura and Assam targetting persons accused of supporting and funding al-Qaida activities. During the operation, the NIA team recovered incriminating documents showing detailed banking transactions, digital devices including mobile phones, and other evidence.
The searches were part of NIA’s ongoing investigations into a 2023 case pertaining to a conspiracy orchestrated by Bangladesh-based al-Qaida operatives in collaboration with the arrested individuals. The conspiracy was aimed at propagating al-Qaida terrorist activities and radicalising gullible youths in India, officials said.
In November last year, NIA filed a chargesheet against five accused, including four Bangladeshi nationals, identified as Mohd. Sojibmiyan, Munna Khalid Ansari alias Munna Khan, Azarul Islam alais Jahangir or Aakash Khan, Abdul Latif alias Mominul Ansari. The fifth accused, Farid, is an Indian national.
NIA investigations revealed that the accused had procured forged documents to carry out their activities covertly. They were actively involved in radicalising and motivating vulnerable Muslim youth in India, spreading al-Qaida’s violent ideology, collecting funds, and transferring these funds to Al-Qaida, it is alleged.
