india

Updated: Dec 13, 2015 07:16 IST

The 23-year-old Chennai youth who went to Sudan to join the Islamic State (IS) was kept in the company of Belgian, Russian and Moroccan recruits in Khartoum, indicating a well-oiled recruitment network of the terror outfit there, sources told HT.

“Mohammed Naser Packeer Mohammed was allegedly detained in Khartoum on October 18 along with eight Sudanese nationals and some Belgian, Moroccan and Russian recruits for planning to go to Libya to join the IS there,” said a senior government official.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Naser after his deportation from Sudan.

“He was produced before a special court on Saturday and remanded to NIA’s custody for 12 days for further interrogation,” said a senior NIA official.

The IS has control over large parts of Syria, Iraq and Libya.

Naser’s family is from Thanjavur district in Tamil Nadu and his father works in Dubai. Naser carries a passport (number F-2625737) which was issued in 2005. He was staying in the Al Dhahirah region when he started several online sites related to the IS and managed to get in touch with an IS recruiter, say counter terror sources.

According to Union home ministry officials, at present, more than 150 Indian youth are under the constant watch of security agencies for their online activities with regard to the IS. So far, the security agencies have managed to stop more than 60 Indian boys and girls from joining the IS.