NIA seizes IED preparation material from Karnataka

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has recovered material used for making improvised explosive devices and grenades based on information provided by an arrested Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) terrorist, according to an official statement on Tuesday.

The agency said alleged JMB terrorist Jahidul Islam alias Kausar, who was arrested on September 19, 2019, disclosed during questioning that after the 2014 Burdwan blast, he and his associates went to southern India to escape the agencies on their trail.

On the basis of his identification, hideouts at Atibele, Kadugodi, K R Puram, Chikkbanavara and Shikaripalya, Electronic City in Bengaluru were raided from where incriminating articles for the preparation of IED and grenades were recovered, it said.

"Two cuboid shaped batteries wrapped with plastic tape and electrical wire, one capacitor, three switches, one micro lithium cell, one plastic transparent box containing black colour chemical wrapped in a white paper, hand gloves, identity cards, rent agreement of one of the hideouts, handwritten letters in Bengali language, one digital camera and silver articles looted during robberies committed in Bengaluru in 2018, have been seized by NIA,” it said.

He also identified the places in Krishnagiri hill, Krishnagiri Distt, Tamil Nadu (near Karnataka - Tamil Nadu border) where he, along with his JMB associates -- Habibur, Arif (Bangladeshi) and Fahim alias Fahad, had allegedly test-fired three rocket shells prepared by them using a crude device during June-October 2017 and the place where they had concealed the remnants of the third test fired rocket shell, the agency said.

"From this place, NIA seized remnants of explosive materials such as 8 batteries of 1.5 volt each, a hollow cylindrical carton used for launching the rocket shell and pieces of electrical wire,” it said.

The case was being probed by Karnataka Police after it had seized five improvised hand grenades, three fabricated grenades caps, three IED circuits, one timer device, two rocket bends, one body of jacket, one 9 mm pistol with live rounds, one air gun, suspected explosive powders and other incriminating materials on July 8, 2019 from a house in Bengaluru District

The house was allegedly rented by members of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), at the instance of Habibur Rahman, a JMB operative.

The NIA took over the probe on July 29, 2019.