ISIS Kerala Module Case: NIA searches 3 locations in J&K, arrests four persons

Srinagar: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Tuesday said that it conducted searches at three locations in Jammu and Kashmir and arrested four persons in connection with the ISIS Kerala Module Case.
In a statement issued on Wednesday the NIA said that it along with police units conducted simultaneous searches at five locations (03-Kashmir, 01-Bengaluru and 01 Mangalore) in connection with investigation of NIA case RC-05/2021/NIA/DLI.
“ NIA had registered a suo-moto case against seven known and other unknown accused persons under sections 120B, 121 & 121A of IPC & sections 17, 18, 188, 20, 38 & 40 of UA (P) Act on 05.03.2021 pertaining to militancy related activities of one Mohammed Ameen alias Abu Yahya r/o Kerala and his associates, who have been running various ISIS propaganda channels on different social media platforms such as Telegram, Hoop and Instagram for propagating the violent Jihadi ideology of ISIS and radicalizing and recruiting new members for the ISIS module,” the NIA statement said, adding that earlier, NIA had conducted searches and had arrested three accused persons namely Mohd. Ameen, Dr. Rahees Rasheed and Mus’Hab Anwar in this case in March 2021.
“During investigation, it has been revealed that after the decline of ISIS Caliphate in Syria/Iraq, Mohd. Ameen had visited Kashmir in March, 2020 for Hijrah (Religious migration) and for engaging in militant acts and had also raised funds in association with Kashmir based accused Mohammad Waqar Lone alais Wilson Kashmiri and his associates. As part of conspiracy, funds were also transferred to Mohd. Waqar Lone by accused in the case through banking channels and digital payment methods on the directions of Mohd. Ameen. Mohd. Ameen and his associates were also radicalizing gullible Muslim youths for joining Jihad and unlawful activities in India and had been successful in expanding the network in Kashmir and part of Kerala and Karnataka,” the statement said.
It said that searches were conducted at the premises of accused/suspects who were continuously in touch with Mohammed Ameen and his associates through various groups/channels on encrypted chat platforms and had raised funds for furtherance of activities of ISIS. “During searches, several digital devices including Laptops, Mobile phones, Hard Disk Drives, Pen Drives, multiple SIM cards of different service providers and incriminating documents were seized,” the statement said, adding that subsequent to the searches, four accused persons associated with ISIS were arrested namely i) Obaid Hamid, r/o Bemina , Srinagar, Muzammil Hassan Bhat , r/o Bandipora , Kashmir, Ammar Abdul Rahman , r/o Ullal Mangalore and Shankar Venkatesh Perumal alias Ali Muaviya ,r/o Bangalore. They were involved in raising funds and radicalising and motivating more people to join ISIS. “Further investigation in the case continues,” the statement said