In a major anti-terror operation ahead of French President François Hollande’s visit to India, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested six suspected ISIS sympathisers on Friday in Karnataka. The NIA picked up these terrorist sympathisers in cooperation with the State police. The crackdown comes days after the arrest of Maulana Anzar Shah, a madrasa teacher with suspected links with al-Qaeda whose interrogation led to these arrests.
Karnataka Home Minister G Parameshwara confirmed to the reporters in Bengaluru about the arrest and said six people were taken into custody by the NIA. He said, “I have been informed that NIA and State Police have arrested six suspected terrorists in the State. Interrogation and gathering of information from them is still going on.”
Home Minister said four people were picked up from Bengaluru and one each from Tumakuru and Mangaluru. “This is what I have been told. I am yet to get details on this, after getting information I will share what can be shared,” he added. According to Parameshwara NIA in coordination with the state police arrested these people.
Police sources said the intelligence agencies and ATS of the Mumbai Police and State police under the direction of NIA, after tracking their activities in the social media, arrested them.
While four arrests were made in Bengaluru, one each suspect was picked up from the Port city of Mangaluru and Tumakuru respectively. They have arrested Nazmul Hudah (25) and Syed Hussain (25) from mangaluru and Tumakuru . While the former was an engineering drop out the latter was a fruit merchant. Sources said the duo were arrested following the leads gained by similar arrests made in Delhi and Mumbai and the duo's contact which those arrested earlier through social media, skype.
It was alleged that the ISIS handlers had come in contact with them after their social media postings were tracked from them and they influenced to support the terror organisation and also offered to invite them to Syria.
Nazmul, studied BE before being a drop out in a reputed engineering college in the city, was arrested from his house at Parmude near Bajpe in Mangaluru and Hussain was arrested from his modest house near Gumchi circle in Tumakuru.
Sources said the arrests were made following the information provided by a Moulvi Syed Ansar Shah Khazmi, who was arrested in the city last month. In similar action the investigating agencies had arrested two suspected terror operatives in Gulbarga and an IT professional in the city during the last few months.
Following arrest of six terrorists suspected to be followers of ISIS, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah held a meeting with Home Minister Parameshwar and top police officials to take stock of the situation.A red alert has been sounded in the State and District authorities have been instructed to beefed vigil on sensitive places.
Following news about one of the suspect had links with Huballi, the Hubli-Dharwad Police have increased security near Government offices, important installations, airport, bus stand and other places.
Security is also beefed up in Mysuru and Mandya Districts following arrest of terror suspect in the state. Following inputs from the State Home Department, the City Police stepped up vigil at sensitive areas, public joints, tourist spots, prominent commercial establishments, Government Offices and other key locations in the city with CAR, KSRP and other Police teams patrolling.
Additional Police force has been deployed at tourist spots including Mysore Palace, Zoo, Chamundi Hill, city railway station. The Mandya Police too have sounded alert and deployed additional forces at famous tourist destinations such as KRS, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, Kokkarebellur and Srirangapatna
These arrests comes in wake of a threat letter received by the French Consulate in Bengaluru 10 days back warning against French President Francois Hollande's impending visit to India.
According to sources the investigating agencies are trying to ascertain if these suspects have anything to do with a threat letter to French Consulate in Bengaluru.
In the recent times, over a dozen terror suspects and ISIS sympathisers have been picked from various places in Karnataka including state capital Bengaluru. Two weeks ago, a radical preacher was arrested from Bengaluru by the NIA.