NIA: Terror Suspects Used Messenger Apps Signal, Trillian, Skype

According to NIA sources, some of these suspects were kept under surveillance for nearly 6 months.

Abu Anas, a 24-year-old with a Masters in Computer Application, was arrested by the National Investigation Agency from Hyderabad for his alleged link to ISIS. (Photo: The Quint)

On Monday, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) informed a Delhi court about the alleged involvement of the fourteen arrested terror suspects in the expansion of the ISIS network in India. During the preliminary interrogation, all the accused disclosed to the investigators about their alleged tasks in recruiting and financing persons who are willing to join ISIS.

The NIA also informed the court that some of these suspected terrorists had direct ‘communication’ with active members of ISIS through messenger applications like Signal, Trillian and Skype. According to the sources, they have chat details which show that very soon these suspected terrorists were planning a training camp in India.

<p>These accused were working on different modules in different states but they had a common link – Mudabbir Mushtaq Shaikh. We cannot disclose much about the modules as it may affect the ongoing investigation. <br></p>

<b>Senior Official, NIA</b>

Mudabbir Mushtaq Shaikh @ Abu Musab (Amir-e-Hind) was arrested on 23 January from Mumbra in Thane. 33-year-old Mushtaq is a part-time web developer. During the raids at his home, the investigators found explosives and instructions on how to assemble explosives. The investigators also allege that recently 6 lakh rupees were transferred to his bank account to purchase weapons.

NIA Says More Arrests Soon

According to the NIA sources, some of these suspects were under surveillance for almost 6 months. All these accused were arrested under the FIR which was registered on 9 December 2015, under the Unlawful Activity Act, against unknown and unidentified persons involved in the activities of the ISIS in India and Asian powers in peace with India.

<p>We registered an FIR in December based on some of the inputs we were gathering through surveillance on some of these suspects. We didn’t arrest them then because we didn’t have much ground or evidence to take them in custody. But when they got some finance and movement started to purchase weapons, we picked them immediately.<br></p>

<b>Senior Official, NIA </b>

The investigators informed a Delhi court while taking the remand of 12 suspected terrorists that all of them were involved in conspiracy and planning with associates and handlers of ISIS in order to motivate Indian youths to join the terror organisation.

The investigators did not just raid the homes of the accused but also of their family members from where they seized laptops, external hard drives, mobile phones, mobile SIMs etc. The investigators will send these for forensic analysis.

The NIA fears that some of their associates are still at large and the arrested suspects, who are linked to ISIS, will help the investigators in nabbing them. The NIA told the court:

<p>It is pertinent to submit here that the accused persons will not only be interrogated to collect more evidence about their activities and network but also we may require their presence at different places for identification and corroboration of their statements.</p>

According to the sources, the online radicalisation of the Indian youth is a menace which is going beyond the control of the Indian security agencies. The Ministry of Home Affairs had always denied the presence of ISIS in India. But now with the NIA crackdown on a severe ISIS terror module, just before the Republic Day, it is clear that India is on the radar of this terror group.