NIA arrests Kerala man in Tamil Nadu with suspected links with ISIS

A man was detained by the NIA from Tamil Nadu, on Monday, in connection with its ongoing investigation in the disappearance of 21 people from Kerala who are believed to have joined the Islamic State (ISIS), a day after the anti-terror probe agency arrested six people in the case.

The NIA had on Sunday carried out searches at various places and arrested six persons from Kerala for allegedly plotting terror attacks in the country at the behest of ISIS.

Those arrested from two districts of Kerala were produced before a special court in Ernakulam which remanded them in NIA’s custody till October 14.

After arresting the six—Manseed alias Omar Al Hindi, Abu Basheer alias Rashid, Swalih Mohammed T alias Yousuf, Safwan P, Jasim NK and Ramshad Nageelan Kandiyil alias Aaamu—NIA teams assisted by central security agencies and police personnel from Kerala, Delhi and Telangana, launched search operations in Chennai and Coimbatore during which another person was detained, official sources said.

Without divulging his identity, the sources said he was being questioned and may be placed under arrest “as he was not speaking the truth”.

The searches were conducted after credible information was received that some youth from Kerala and Tamil Nadu along with their accomplices have entered into a criminal conspiracy to commit terrorist acts by collecting explosives and other offensive material for targeting important persons and places of public importance in various parts of south lndia, the sources said.

The NIA has already registered a case in connection with the 21 missing youths from Kerala who are believed to have joined ISIS terror group in Afghanistan and later moved to Syria and some other countries.