“Nashidul was detained by Afghan Security Agencies last year for illegally entering the country to join his associates in proscribed terrorist organisation ISIS/Daish,” an NIA statement said. (Photo for representation) “Nashidul was detained by Afghan Security Agencies last year for illegally entering the country to join his associates in proscribed terrorist organisation ISIS/Daish,” an NIA statement said. (Photo for representation)

A Kerala youth, who fled to Afghanistan after being persuaded by a group of 14 young men from Kasaragod who had joined the Islamic State in that country, has been deported to India and arrested by the NIA, the agency has said. Nashidul Hamzafar, 26, had travelled to Afghanistan through the Gulf to join IS in October 2017 but was detained by Afghan security agencies. He hails from Kalpetta in Wayanad district of Kerala.

“Nashidul was detained by Afghan Security Agencies last year for illegally entering the country to join his associates in proscribed terrorist organisation ISIS/Daish,” an NIA statement said.

The NIA said its case relates to the “criminal conspiracy hatched by the accused persons from Kasaragod district of Kerala and their associates since Ramadan, 2015 with the intention of joining and furthering the objectives of ISIS/Daish. Pursuant to the conspiracy, 14 accused persons from Kasaragod district had left India or their work places in Middle-East between mid-May and early-July, 2016 before travelling to Afghanistan, where they joined ISIS/Daish.”

According to NIA, Hamzafar participated in the conspiracy through encrypted social media platforms, with the other absconding accused such as Abdul Rashid Abdulla and Ashfak Majeed. Both were known to him through his collegemates Shihas, Firoz Khan and Bestin Vincent, the NIA said, adding that they are now in Afghanistan.

Hamzafar was on Wednesday produced before the special court for NIA cases at Patiala House. He will now be taken to Kochi on transit remand to be produced before the special NIA court, Ernakulam, that had issued a non- bailable warrant against him.

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