2 terror suspects held, planned to leave for Afghanistan: NIA

“Preliminary investigations have revealed that the two accused — Mohammed Arif and Hamraz Worshid Shaikh — were in contact with foreign-based online handlers affiliated to proscribed terrorist organisations via encrypted communication platforms. They had also made elaborate plans to leave for Afghanistan to progress their terrorist activities,” an NIA official said.

The NIA said that Arif and Shaikh were allegedly involved in a conspiracy to radicalise youth over social media platforms and provoke them to indulge in acts of violence and terrorism.

“The duo were picked up for questioning on Saturday during searches carried out at Thanisandra in Bengaluru and Palghar-Thane in Maharashtra. The NIA arrested the two accused (on Sunday) in a case relating to conspiracy by terrorist organisations based in India and abroad to radicalise the youth and provoke them to indulge in acts of violence and terrorism,” the NIA official said.

“The case was initially registered at Tilaknagar Police Station in Bengaluru on July 24 last year and re-registered by the NIA on November 30,” the official added.
The NIA said the search operations were conducted based on an FIR registered last year after the police arrested a few people in Shivamogga district over alleged links to ISIS.