National Investigation Agency detained five people from Karnataka for spreading Islamic State propaganda

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and other security agencies launched a major crackdown on IS module in Karnataka and Jammu and Kashmir and detained five for funding, radicalising and propagating ISIS ideology on social media on Wednesday.

The NIA had first arrested the leader of the IS module, Mohammad Ameen, along with his associates Mushab Anuvar (from Kannur, Kerala) and Dr Rahees Rashid (from Kollam, Kerala), on March 14-15 for instigating the Indian youth to join Jihad, planning the assassination of right-wing leaders, attacking media organisation and raising funds for their group.

After interrogating the three men it was found that they were spreading Islamist propaganda through their Instagram channel ‘Chronicle Foundation’, with 5,000 followers. They were involved in raising funds for Jihadi activities and ISIS module in Jammu and Kashmir.

The module has a pan-India network and some of the associated members were also planning to visit ISIS conflict zones in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan. Some members even tried to enter Afghanistan through Iran in 2019 but failed.

Those detained on Wednesday are Deepthi Marla (from Bengaluru), a Hindu converted to Islam and an associate of ISIS Khorasan and J&K-based handlers, Mohammad Ammar (from Bengaluru), who is wanted for Hijrat (migration) to ISIS conflict theater in Khorasan and Afghanistan, Madesh Shankar (from Bengaluru), a Hindu converted to Islam associated with ISIS Khorasan, Obaid Hamid from Srinagar, an associate with ISIS operatives in Khorasan, who was planning to visit Syria, and Muzamil Hassan Bhat from Bandipora, Kashmir, who is responsible for fund-raising in J&K for ISIS.

The group leader, Mohammad Ameen, who is a Delhi-based activist and quite active on ISIS media platforms, intended to travel to Pakistan and Jammu and Kashmir to join terror groups. He created Chronicle Foundation on Instagram for Islamist propaganda and was in touch with IS handlers in Khorasan, Afghanistan.

The other two arrested were Mushab Anuvar, a social media strategist, who spreads Islamist ideology, and Dr Rahees Rashid, a hardcore ISIS supporter and J&K terror groups, from whom documents related to IED (Improvised Explosive Device) making was found.

Source: News 18