Major NIA operation: Raids across 5 states to track Al Qaeda suspects

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted simultaneous raids in five states on Thursday in connection with the Al-Qaeda Gujarat terror plot case. The investigating agency suspects the role of illegally residing Bangladeshi nationals in the conspiracy. The NIA conducted searches at a total of 10 locations. According to an agency spokesperson, the raids on Wednesday were conducted at locations linked to the suspects and their associates in West Bengal, Tripura, Meghalaya, Haryana and Gujarat.

NIA conducts raids in five states in search of Al Qaeda-linked terrorists; Bangladeshis living illegally in the country are on radar : Officials said that several digital devices and documents were recovered during the searches, which have now been sent for forensic examination. The case was registered in the year 2023, in which the names of four Bangladeshi nationals — Mohammad Sojib Mian, Munna Khalid Ansari, Azrul Islam and Abdul Latif — had surfaced.

The NIA says the accused were linked to the banned terrorist organization Al-Qaeda. They were involved in raising and funneling funds to terrorists operating in Bangladesh. They were also involved in efforts to radicalize Muslim youth. The NIA filed a charge sheet in this case on November 10, 2023, in a special court in Ahmedabad.

In a similar vein, the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) recently arrested a software engineer from Pune for alleged links to al-Qaeda and Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS). A teacher from Thane was also questioned. On October 27, the ATS detained 37-year-old Zubair Hungergekar. He is accused of being associated with banned organizations and playing an active role in radicalization activities.