Picture used for representational purpose only

CHENNAI: Fourteen people from Tamil Nadu, who were deported from the United Arab Emirates on charges of raising money to fund terror and support terror outfits, were arrested by the National Investigation Agency in Delhi and flown to Chennai on Monday.

All 14 of them were produced before the special court for the exclusive trial of bomb blast cases and NIA cases, Poonamalee. Judge P Chenthoorpandi remanded the accused in judicial custody till July 25.

The fourteen are — Moideen Seeni Shahul Hameed, Mohammed Ibrahim, Meeran Kani, Mohammed Sheik, Mohhamed Azharuddin, Thoufik Ahamed, Mohammed Aksar, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Rafi Ahamed, Umar Farook, Munthabseer, Farrook, Faizal Sherif and Mohammed Ibrahim.

They were booked on various charges of IPC including 120(b) (punishment for conspiracy), 121(a) (conspiracy), 122 (collecting arms) and Unlawful Activities Prevention Act section 17 (raising funds for terrorist organisations), 18 (punishment for conspiracy), 18(b) (recruiting persons for terrorist act), 38 (person associated with terrorist organisation), 39 (supporting terrorist organisation) among others.

Special public prosecutor for NIA, C S S Pillai told TOI that the fourteen men hail from different parts of Tamil Nadu. “They were detained by UAE authorities who found the men collecting funds for waging a ‘war against India’,” Pillai said. They were deported from UAE in two batches after which the NIA took over.

Preliminary investigations have suggested that they are supporters of terror outfits including ISIS, the special public prosecutor told the court.

NIA raids at the house and office of Syed Mohammed Bukhari in Chennai, besides at the houses of Hassan Ali and Harish Mohammed in Nagapattinam district on Saturday were based on the inputs provided by the 14 men. NIA said they had received credible information that the accused, while being within and outside India, had conspired to wage war against the Government of India by forming the terrorist gang ‘Ansarulla’ and made preparations to carry out terrorist attacks with the intention of establishing Islamic rule in the country.

