NIA busts terror module in Tamil Nadu

Chennai: The National Investigation Agency on Saturday carried out raids at multiple locations in Chennai and Nagapattinam and busted a Tamil Nadu-based terror module whose members had collected funds and made preparations to carry out terrorist attacks with the intention of establishing Islamic rule in India. The raids were conducted in a case pertaining to Ansarulla terrorist gang, the NIA said.

The premier probe agency on Saturday carried out searches at the house and office of accused Syed Mohammed Bukhari in Chennai city and houses of Hassan Ali Yunusmaricar and Mohammed Yusuffudeen Harish Mohamed in Nagapattinam district of Tamil Nadu, the agency said in a statement. Three persons are being questioned in connection with the raids, sources said.

“It has also been learnt that the accused persons and  their associates had collected funds and made preparations to  carry out terrorist attacks in India, with the intention of  establishing Islamic rule in India,” a NIA release said.  

A case had been registered against the three persons on July 9 under various Sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and UA (P) Act after NIA received credible information that the accused persons were conspiring and conducted consequent preparations to wage war against the government.

Based on some strong evidence as the three had contact with some other banned Islamic organisations, the NIA has executed the searching operation, sources said.

Raids started at 6 am at the city office of Wahdath-e-Islami Hind on Lingi Chetty street in Mannady.

TN state head of the organisation, Sayyed Mohammed Buhari  was taken into custody. His office, which is in an apartment complex on Vepery-Poonamallee road, was raided as well, sources added.

At Nagapattinam, the team raided places in Sikkal and Manjakollai and took two persons for inquiry. They were identified as Hassan Ali Yunusmaricar and Moham-med Yusuffudeen Harish Mohamed. The NIA team is also probing if they were plotting to murder Hindu leaders.

NIA officers claimed that the group had contact with banned Islamic organisations. It is said this group communicated via social media. They are also inquiring if they were in touch with the perpetrators of Colombo's Easter Day blast which killed 259 people and left 1,000 injured.

Sources said during searches, 9 mobiles, 15 SIM cards, 7 memory cards, 3 laptops, 5 hard discs, 6 pen drives, 2 tablets and 3 CDs/ DVDs.