india

Updated: Dec 12, 2015 16:15 IST

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday arrested a 23-year-old man from Chennai who had allegedly reached Sudan in order to cross over to Libya to join the terror outfit Islamic State (IS).

It is first such incident where an Indian was being deployed in Libya by the IS. According to Union home ministry data, so far 23 Indians have joined the ranks of IS and all of them were reported to be in the terror outfit-held area along the border of Iraq and Syria. Out of them, six have been reported killed as well.

“Mohammed Naser Packeer Mohammed is a computer expert. He got in touch with an IS recruiter known as ‘Mad Mullah’ sometime in May this year while he was in Dubai. Mad Mullah told him to reach Sudan from where he was to be sent to Libya to join the IS but his activities came in the notice of Sudanese authorities who detained him and sent back to India,” a senior government official said requesting anonymity.

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When contacted, NIA chief Sharad Kumar confirmed that an FIR has been registered by the anti-terror agency against Naser but refused to divulge further.

According to counter terror sources, Naser’s father worked in car showroom in Dubai. He travelled to Dubai in 2014 and came back to Chennai in May this year and again went there. During the same period he started looking for the IS related activities online. He was promised to be trained in Sudan before being deployed in Libya. His handler arranged for a Sudanese visa for him and dispatched it to Dubai.

So far, the security agencies have managed to stop more than 60 Indians from the joining the ranks of IS.

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