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India’s anti-terror agency NIA conducts raids, thwarts radicalisation, recruitment drive of ISIS

India’s anti-terror agency NIA conducts raids, thwarts radicalisation, recruitment drive of ISIS

National Investigation Agency (NIA) file photo

India’s federal anti-terror National Investigation Agency (NIA) launched raids at 31 locations Saturday (Sept 16) to detect and thwart a radicalisation and recruitment drive organised by global terror group ISIS.

The locations were raided across the south Indian states of Tamil Nadu and Telangana, during which several digital devices, documents and incriminating books in vernacular and Arabic languages, and Rs 60 lakh, as well as $18,200 in cash, were seized.

The agency will now investigate the data stored on the seized devices.

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'Khilafat' ideology

As per officials from NIA, the ISIS-inspired agents were engaged in the propagation of the 'Khilafat' ideology, which is inimical to India's constitutionally established principles of secularism and democracy.

The agency raided at least 26 locations in Tamil Nadu while other five sites were raided in Telangana’s Hyderabad.

"The radicalisation was being carried out in the garb of holding Arabic language classes through their Regional Study Centres. Such radicalisation activities were being flashed through social media platforms and online messaging services like WhatsApp and Telegram," a spokesperson for the NIA said.

“The searches were conducted in connection with a case, registered by NIA Chennai under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, that pertains to clandestine operations by a group of individuals to radicalise vulnerable youth,” the official said.

Case related to 2022 Coimbatore blast

The group of persons involved in the case had entered into a conspiracy to radicalise and recruit youth who were later found involved in terrorist as well as unlawful acts and activities. One such terror attack related to the Coimbatore car bomb blast case of October 23 of last year, the agency revealed.

Watch:US: Dr Masood accused of attempting to provide material support to ISIS

The official stated that the investigations in this case are ongoing as part of the NIA's determined efforts to prevent ISIS from recruiting vulnerable and impressionable young individuals into their terrorist network.

This network is actively engaged in spreading terror within the country, with the overarching goal of destabilising its peace and communal harmony.

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