NIA arrests two accused in Bengaluru ISIS case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two men, including a Bengaluru-based rice merchant, in connection with an Islamic State (IS) terror module.

Irfan Nasir (33), a resident of Fraser Town, and Ahamed Abdul Cader (40), a business analyst from Ramanathapuram, Tamil Nadu, are accused of radicalising Muslim youths and funding their visits to Syria to assist IS militants.

The two were held after their names cropped up during the questioning of Abdul Rahman, an ophthalmologist who was arrested from Bengaluru in August in a separate case involving a couple, Jahanzaib Sami and Hina Bashir, who are accused of having links to the Islamic State-Khorasan Province.

During the questioning, Rahman had reportedly named his associates who had travelled to Syria in 2013-2014 to join the IS.

Sources said that about 12 people from Bengaluru travelled to Iraq and Syria in 2013-14. While two of them were killed in Syria, the others returned in 2014.

The NIA suspects that Nasir, Cader and their associates were members of Hizb ut-Tahrir, and had formed a group called ‘Qur’an Circle’, which allegedly radicalised Muslim youths in Bengaluru and funded their visits to the conflict zone in Syria to aid and assist IS militants.

The NIA registered a suo motu complaint on September 19, 2020, under IPC sections 120B and 125 and sections 17, 18 and 18B of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against the suspects for having “affiliation with the banned terrorist organisation IS/ISIL/Daesh and for entering into a conspiracy to radicalise and motivate Muslim youths of Bengaluru to join the IS and for raising funds to facilitate their travel to Syria”.

Cader, Nasir and their associates arranged funds through donations and own sources for the visits of Rahman and other Muslim youths of Bengaluru to Syria.

The NIA said it searched the premises of Cader and Nasir in Gurappanapalya and Frazer Town, respectively, on Wednesday and seized incriminating” materials and electronic devices.

A special NIA court in Bengaluru has remanded both the suspects in police custody for 10 days for questioning.