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Published 21:49 IST, April 29th 2019

NIA arrests one in Islamic State module case, accused reveals links to ISIS in Syria and Afghanistan

NIA arrested one Riyas Aboobacker in connection with Kasaragod Islamic State terror module case.

Reported by: Aishwaria Sonavane
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NIA arrested an accused named Riyas Aboobacker in association with the Kasaragod Islamic State terror module case.

During the interrogation, the terror accused divulged that he has been in touch for a long time with absconding accused Abdul Rashid Abdulla, who is believed to be the hierarch behind recruiting Keralites into the terror outfit Islamic State. 

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Aboobacker also revealed that he has been a follower of Abdullas's audio clip, including the one wherein he instigating others to carryout a terror attacks in India.

READ| After Islamic State Terror Hits Sri Lanka, NIA Cracksdown On ISIS Module In Kerala

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Furthermore, the suspect disclosed that he has been in contact with Abdul Khayoom, an accused in Valapattanam ISIS case who is believed to be in Syria at the moment.  It was also known that the accused has been following speeches and videos of Zahran Hashim of Sri Lanka for over a year, along with that the speeches of Zakir Naik.

He admitted that he wanted to carry out a suicide attack in Kerala.

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He is known to be produced in a court in Kochi tomorrow for conspiring to commit a terrorist act.

NIA got a tip off that a group of four individuals have been in contact with some of the terror accused who have already migrated to Syria and Afghanistan-- Abdul Rashid, Ashfaq Majeed, Abdul Khayoom.

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After verifying, NIA conducted raids at three places- two in Kasaragod and one in Palakkad district in Kerala on Sunday wherein three  group members have been interrogated for their ISIS links and their plans.

"These persons are suspected to have links with some of the accused persons in the said case who had exited India to join the proscribed terrorist organisation ISIS/Daish," the NIA said in a statement.

WATCH: Sri Lankan Media Accesses Another Hotel's CCTV Footage, Capturing Alleged Suicide Bomber Queuing Up At Shangri-La's Buffet Table

It said that mobile phones, SIM cards, memory cards, pen drives, diaries with handwritten notes in Arabic and Malayalam, DVDs and books of controversial Islamic preacher Zakir Naik, besides untitled DVDs, CDs with religious speeches, books of Syed Kutheb were seized during the searches.

"Digital devices will be forensically examined and analysed," the agency said, adding the three suspects are being questioned. 

The case was registered in July 2016 following the disappearance of 15 youths from Kasargod and their subsequent migration to ISIS, wherein 14 went to Afghanistan and one to Syria. 

21:31 IST, April 29th 2019