SRINAGAR: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Sunday conducted two simultaneous searches at 7 locations in Srinagar and Anantnag in connection with a case related to the circulation of propaganda by banned terror group ISIS.
The search was conducted in connection with the conspiracy of ISIS to radicalise and recruit impressionable youth in India to wage violent jihad against the Indian State, the NIA said.
ISIS terrorists operating from various conflict zones along with ISIS cadres in India, by assuming pseudo-online identities, have created a network wherein ISIS-related propaganda material is disseminated for radicalising and recruiting members into its fold.
“In this connection, an India-Centric online propaganda magazine ‘the Voice of Hind’ (VOH) is published on monthly basis with an aim to incite and radicalise impressionable youth by projecting a skewed narrative of imagined injustices in India to arouse a feeling of alienation and communal hatred,” it added.
According to the agency, its team seized a large number of incriminating documents and digital devices such as mobile phones, tablets, laptops, hard disks, and T-shirts having the ISIS logo during the raid.
In order to execute its nefarious plan, the NIA said a campaign has been launched over cyberspace which is supplemented by on-ground terror financing activities.
The investigation into the matter is underway.
Arrest arms trafficker
Meanwhile, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has conducted a search at Uttar Pradesh’s Meerut in connection with the extortion case by Khalistani terrorists. The agency has also arrested an arms trafficker for the same.
According to NIA, the team seized two country-made pistols of 0.315 bore, ten live rounds of 0.315 bore, one mobile phone, two SIM cards, and one memory card during the search.
The arrested arms trafficker has been identified as Mohammad Asif Ali, a 32-year-old resident of Meerut.
The case was originally registered at Mehna Police Station in Moga district on Punjab on May 22, 2021 under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). The case was based on the information received by Punjab Police that one Arshdeep Singh alias Aras, a resident of Moga, Charanjit Singh alias Rinku, a resident of Barnala, and Ramandeep Singh alias Jajj, a resident of Ferozepur, all currently abroad, had formed a gang and have been threatening and extorting money from businessmen of Punjab.
NIA had re-registered the case on June 10 and taken over the investigation.
“Investigation has revealed that the previously arrested accused Gagandeep Singh used to purchase arms and ammunitions from accused Mohd. Asif Ali and further supplied them to the other arrested accused Kamaljeet Sharma alias Kamal and his associates,” the NIA statement read.
According to NIA, the weapons were used in faith-based targeted killings and for threatening and extorting money from businessmen of Punjab.
NIA has also conducted a search at the premises of Paramjit Singh alias Mangal, another arms trafficker involved in the case today. During the search, cash amounting to Rs 9 lakh, mobile phones, and incriminating documents were seized.
Further investigation into the matter is underway. (ANI)