Former SIMI member from Karnataka suspected of ISIS activities detained in Dubai

Bengaluru: Dubai police have detained a 33-year-old from Karnataka’s Bhatkal in connection with IS related activities, as reported by The Indian Express.

Adnan Hasan Damudi, allegedly a former SIMI member, moved to Dubai in 2012 for work, and is reportedly an online recruiter and propaganda agent for the Islamic State. Damudi was being tracked for over a year by Indian authorities for suspected activities.

Damudi, who was an accountant by training, who previously employed as an assistant delivery coordinator at the World Trade Center in Dubai. He was detained a couple of months ago during which period all the ‘suspect’ online activities came to a halt.

The Twitter account allegedly linked to Damudi, with the handle @AdnanDamudi, that would propagate IS ideology has been defunct over the last year along with his YouTube subscription.

Indian and UAE phone numbers suspected to have been provided by Damudi on online forums are also inactive.

A commerce graduate from Karnataka University in Dharwad, Damudi was allegedly also in touch with Sultan Armar from Bhatkal, who was reported by IS-linked websites to have been killed in Kobane in Syria in March this year. Investigations showed Damudi to be in touch with several other Muslim youths in India as well.