Within days of taking into custody an affiliate of controversial preacher Zakir Naik-headed Islamic Research Foundation (IRF) for his alleged links with international terror outfit ISIS, Maharashtra’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and a visiting team of the Kerala Police have arrested a man who was recruiting youths for the ISIS.
Identifying the arrested person as Rizwan Khan, a senior ATS official said on Saturday that Rizwan was arrested from Kalyan town in the adjoining Thane district on Friday night.
On Saturday, Rizwan was produced before a Magistrate who remanded him in the custody of Kerala police till July 25.
Rizwan, whose transit remand was obtained by the visiting team of investigators from the southern state, is wanted by the Kerala police in connection with the disappearance of 21 youths, who are believed to have joined the ISIS.
The ATS officials said that Rizwan would be taken to Kerala, where the visiting police would seek a formal remand from a local court.
Given that the Kerala Police are investigating the case, the ATS officials said that they did not have much of information about Rizwan. However, a senior ATS official confirmed that Rizwan used to recruit youths for the international outfit ISIS.
Rizwan’s arrest comes on the heels of State ATS and Kerala detaining Arshi Qureshi, an IRF affiliate, from his Navi Mumbai residence on July 21.
Within hours after his detention, Quershi was placed under arrest by the visiting team of Kerala Police in connection with a case registered against in Kochi on July 17. The case registered by the Kerala Police in connection with the disappearance of 21 youths who are suspected to have fled the state and joined ISIS. A Navi Mumbai remanded Quershi in the custody of the Kerala Police till July 25.
Informed ATS sources said the arrests of both Arshi and Rizwan were inter-linked. The visiting investigators from Kerala expect these two arrested IS men to help in ascertaining the whereabouts of 21 youths from their State.
Incidentally, Kalyan — from where Rizwan was arrested - was the first city in the country that came under the scanner of the intelligence agencies which were trying to trace ISIS’ network in India.