NIA searches 5 locations in Coimbatore

Chennai, Aug 29 (IANS) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday conducted searches at five locations in Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, the probe agency said.

Earlier this month, security was tightened across the southern state after intelligence inputs said that few Lashkar-e-Taiba members had infiltrated into Tamil Nadu.

The NIA said in a statement that the searches were carried out based on warrants issued by the NIA Special Court in Ernakulam in Kerala in what is termed as ISIS Kerala-Tamil Nadu Module Case.

The case was registered by the NIA on May 30, 2019 against six accused persons from Coimbatore, based on the information that these individuals and their associates were propagating the ideology of the proscribed terrorist organisation ISIS on social media with the intention of recruiting vulnerable youth into the terror outfit and carrying out terrorist attacks in South India, especially in Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

According to NIA, it was also learnt that some of the accused persons and their associates were in touch with Sri Lankan ISIS leader Zahran Hashim and his accomplices over social media, with the intention of furthering the objectives of the ISIS in India.

On June 12 the agency had conducted searches at the houses of six accused persons in this case, and based on the incriminating facts revealed, two accused -- Mohammed Azarudheenand Shiek Hidayathulla -- were arrested.

The NIA said that during Thursday's raids at the houses of five associates of the accused persons, digital devices, including one laptop, five mobile phones, four SIM cards, one memory card, eight CDs/DVDs and a large number of incriminating documents were seized.

The seized digital devices will be subjected to forensic examination. The suspects are being examined regarding their association with the arrested accused persons and their involvement in the conspiracy, intended at furthering the objectives of ISIS, the NIA statement said.