TOI

Module would network on a global level

HYDERABAD/NEW DELHI/: National Investigation Agency (NIA) sleuths have claimed they recovered precursor material, including digital devices, required to make an improvised explosive device (IED) from a teenager, Abdul Qhadeer. After questioning him for a week, NIA on Sunday arrested 19-year-old Qhadeer and Abdullah Basith for links with Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) to create a new module in Hyderabad.Basith, 24, an ISIS operative and nephew of former SIMI president Syed Salahuddin and a resident of Hafeezbaba Nagar, was leading the module and allegedly held a few ‘secret’ meetings with other associates in the city to carry out subversive activities as part of furtherance of the IS ’ activities in the country, NIA sources said. NIA sleuths were questioning five more persons till last reports came in.“We recovered material used in the preparation of IED from the residence of Abdul Qhadeer. We did not recover any assembled IED. Basith, Qhadeer and a few others were in touch with each other and held secret meetings,” credible sources in NIA toldin Hyderabad. Qhadeer, who failed in class 10, has been selling religious books, while Basith, an engineering student and a repeat offender, was arrested in 2016 by Hyderabad police for planning to join the proscribed outfit by crossing the border.Though the two were arrested in the 2016 Abu Dhabi module case registered in New Delhi, NIA officials said Basith and others formed a new IS module and were reportedly conspiring to carry out terror attacks in the country. Based on preliminary investigation, NIA sources said there were no indications of the module members planning to flee the country this time. Basith and others had failed twice to flee to Syria.In the latest development, the two wanted to carry out terror activities in the country. The NIA sleuths found that Abu Dhabi module accused Adnan Hasan of Karnataka gave ₹53,000 to Basith and a few others in 2014 to join IS forces in Syria. Now, NIA arrested Basith and Qhadeer for their links to Adnan.The accused were under the surveillance of Counter Intelligence (CI) Cell sleuths of Telangana police for the past few months. After getting leads about the new module, the information was shared with NIA, who conducted searches on August 6 at seven locations in Old City. Since then, the accused were facing NIA questioning at their Begumpet office and on Sunday they were arrested. It is learnt that the accused had pooled in money to finance their module.Hyderabad module members were in touch with operatives from countries like Australia, Bangladesh, Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Malaysia, S Arabia, UAE, UK, Nigeria, Pakistan, Qatar, Serbia, Sudan, Sri Lanka and Mauritius. Adnan Hassan,who is now in jail, was in touch with Karen Aisha Hamidon of Philippines who used to recruit Indian youths through WhatsApp groups. She was arrested in Philippines last year.