The National Investigative Agency on Thursday conducted searches at two locations in connection with an Islamic State module that busted in Kannur district last year | Photo Credit: Indiatimes

The National Investigative Agency on Thursday conducted searches at two locations in connection with an Islamic State module that busted in Kannur district last year.

In a release, the NIA has stated that on Friday, the suspects were summoned and examined by NIA investigators. During the interrogation, two of the suspects disclosed that they were radicalized through speeches of preachers like Zakir Naik and Anwar Al-Awlaki.

“They have admitted that they were following various ISIS or Daesh groups or channels in social media and have also disseminated pro-ISIS or Daesh propaganda while they were in contact with absconding accused persons in NIA cases,” the NIA release stated.

On Thursday, NIA had conducted searches at two locations in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu and one location in Alappuzha, Kerala as part of the investigation.

During the searches conducted at the two locations, 10 mobile phones, 4 laptops, 2 hard disks, one pen drive, 77 DVDs/ CDs, 3 memory cards, 16 SIM cards besides documents including books, diaries and manuscripts have been seized by NIA investigators. The seized material objects have been submitted before the special NIA Court to forward the digital devices for forensic examination.

Read: Islamic preacher Zakir Naik’s passport revoked at NIA's request

Last month, Naik's passport was revoked on Tuesday by the National Investigation Agency, after the 51-year-old failed to respond to a showcause notice issued to him for failing to make a personal appearance before the investigative body before July 13.

The 51-year-old televangelist, who is currently abroad, is being probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) for charges related to terror and money laundering. The Mumbai-based preacher, who left India on July 1, 2016, came under the lens of security agencies after some terrorists allegedly involved in the attack on a cafe in Dhaka in July last year reportedly claimed they were inspired by his speeches.

He is being probed for terror and money laundering charges by the NIA. He fled from India on July 1, 2016 after terrorists in neighbouring Bangladesh claimed that they were inspired by his speeches on waging jihad.