NIA arrests 2 Hyderabad men for 'links' with ISIS to probe youth radicalisation

New Delhi: The NIA on Sunday arrested two alleged ISIS sympathisers from Hyderabad as part of its larger probe into Indian youngsters being radicalised to carry out terror strikes on behalf of the banned international outfit.

A force spokesperson said they have arrested Hyderabad-based Mohammed Abdullah Basith (24) and Mohd Abdul Qhadeer (19) to "ascertain the details of the ongoing conspiracy and also their role in furthering the ISIS ideology to carry out terrorist acts in India".

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is probing a case since 2016 where it is alleged that the members of ISIS (Islamic State of Iraq and Syria) "were involved in a conspiracy to identify, motivate, radicalise, recruit and train Indian Muslim youth on behalf of the proscribed outfit ISIS to carry out terror activities."

Two accused arrested by the NIA, in this case, earlier have been sent to 7 years in jail after they pleaded guilty of the charges while trial against Adnan Hassan is ongoing. "During further investigation, a fresh input was received from reliable sources that Basith, who was connected with accused Adnan Hassan and some of his associates are in regular touch with each other and conspiring to further the activities of ISIS, a proscribed terrorist organisation in India," an NIA spokesperson said.

The central agency subsequently conducted raids at 7 locations in Hyderabad on August 6 as part of these fresh leads, he said. A lot of incriminating material was recovered and seized and it has been sent to CFSL Hyderabad for analysis and data extraction, he added.

"The initial questioning/interviewing done so far has brought out the involvement of accused Abdullah Basith, Mohd Abdul Qhadeer and other associates pledging their allegiance to the proscribed terrorist organization ISIS to carry out terror activities in India," the spokesperson said.