Published 20:38 IST, September 19th 2020
NIA gets remand of 6 Al-Qaeda operatives nabbed in Murshidabad, to be flown to Delhi
Six people arrested from Bengal's Murshidabad by the NIA for alleged links with terror group Al-Qaeda have been remanded for six days by a Kolkata court
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The six people arrested from West Bengal's Murshidabad by the National Investigation Agency for alleged links with terror group Al-Qaeda have been remanded for six days in NIA custody by a Kolkata court and are booked under the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), the agency's lawyer said on Saturday.
"The six accused persons were arrested from Murshidabad on a case by NIA Delhi. They were produced before this (Kolkata) court and we will take him to Patiala court in Delhi by tomorrow. They have to be produced there by the 24th of this month. They are members of the banned organisation al-Qaeda," advocate Shyamal Ghosh told reporters outside of the special NIA court in Kolkata.
He informed that the agency has booked the accused under sections 17 (raising funds for terrorist act), 18 (conspiracy), and 25 (funds intended for terror activities) of the UAPA. The investigations are to be carried out to decide their role, he further said.
West Bengal: Six Al-Qaeda terrorists, who were arrested National Investigation Agency (NIA), produced before a special NIA court in Kolkata. pic.twitter.com/59E9GezJuJ
— ANI (@ANI) September 19, 2020
Al-Qaeda module busted
In a major win, the NIA busted an Al-Qaeda terror module in Kerala and West Bengal on Saturday, arresting nine operatives from Kerala and West Bengal. Three operatives were arrested from Ernakulam in Kerala while six were picked up from Murshidabad by the NIA, foiling their plot to carry out a terror attack.
“The module was actively indulging in fundraising and a few members of gang were planning to travel to New Delhi to procure arms and ammunition. These arrests have pre-empted possible terrorist attacks in various parts of the country,” the NIA said.
A large quantity of incriminating materials including digital devices, documents, jihadi literature, sharp weapons, country-made firearms, a locally fabricated body armour, articles and literature used for making home-made explosive devices have been seized from their possession.
As per the preliminary investigation, these individuals were radicalised by Pakistan-based Al-Qaeda terrorists on social media and were motivated to undertake attacks at multiple places including the National Capital Region. For this purpose, the module was actively indulging in fundraising and a few members of the gang were planning to travel to New Delhi to procure arms and ammunition. These arrests have pre-empted possible terrorist attacks in various parts of the country, the NIA said.
The arrested individuals have been identified as Murshid Hasan, Iyakub Biswas, Mosaraf Hossen (all from Ernakulam), and Najmus Sakib, Abu Sufiyan, Mainul Mondal, Leu Yean Ahmed, Al Mamun Kamal, and Atitur Rehman (from Murshidabad).
Updated 20:38 IST, September 19th 2020