Agencies probing involvement of Afghan module

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) are probing the overall role of alleged Afghanistan module of ISIS to see if there is any link to their ongoing investigation against radicalisation by ISIS and whether this module is linked to the four youths from Kalyan who had fled to join ISIS in May 2014 and to last year’s incident where a maulana was arrested for trying to recruit men in Pusad town, Yavatmal district, and send them to Afghanistan for arms training.

“The fact that Afghanistan is known for being infested by terrorists is known to all. But the NIA and us are investigating to see if there is an overall link to ISIS related incidents. As of now we are unable to establish a link,” said an ATS source.

In May 2014, four youths had left their homes in Kalyan for going on a pilgrimage to Baghdad but joined the war in Syria instead. Only Areeb Majeed returned home months later, and since then has been in the NIA’s custody.

Aadil Dolare, a businessman from Thane district, was picked up for allegedly radicalising Areeb. On Dolare’s invitation two Afghanistan nationals had come to India. However, Dolare was booked under the Foreigner’s Act for violating the rules as the duo were his guests but were staying in a hotel. It is still not clear if these two Afghanistani nationals played any role in indoctrinating Areeb.

In the Yavatmal case, the alleged accused, Maulana Hafij Mujib (26) wanted to send a youngster Abdul Malik to Afghanistan via Bangladesh to get al Qaeda-level arms training. The Maulana has been chargesheeted in the case. In the third incident from Malwani, the intelligence agencies believe that one of the youths, Ayaz Sultan, fled to Kabul in Afghanistan and is said to have joined the ISIS.

It is also learnt that the NIA and ATS are probing the role of Shafi Armar, who was formerly a member of the Indian Mujahideen. Armar is said to be one of the foreign handlers of Mudabbir Shaikh, the chief recruiter for ISIS in India caught from Mumbra. Armar was operating from Afghanistan in the past.