The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested an alleged Islamic State operative on grounds of radicalising and recruiting Muslims and sending them to Syria to join ISIS. He is accused in an NIA case titled RC-33/2020/NIA/DLI. NIA officials said on Sunday, October 24, that Mahmood, aged 33, is a resident of Bengaluru. Saturday's arrest is a follow up to a case that NIA had registered under section 120B (Punishment of criminal conspiracy), 125 (Waging war against any Asiatic Power in alliance with the Government of India) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and section 17 (Punishment for raising funds for terrorist act), 18 (Punishment for conspiracy, etc), 18B (Punishment for recruiting of any person or persons for terrorist act) of the UAPA (Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act

A case had earlier been registered against Muhammad Tauqir Mahmood, Zuhab Hameed alias Shakeel Manna, Irfan Nasir and Mohd Shihab for having affiliation with banned terrorist organisations including ISIS. The NIA had earlier arrested two other accused, identified as Ahamed Abdul Cader and Irfan Nasir, who were chargesheeted on April 1, this year.

The NIA said that further investigation suggested that the accused from Bengaluru, Muhammad, in association with co-accused persons, had allegedly raised funds, radicalised and recruited Muslim youth of a group called ‘Quran Circle’ and illegally sent them to Syria to join ISIS. Earlier in 2013, Muhammad along with his associate had also visited Syria illegally to liaise with ISIS leadership and had offered support from Indian Muslims, NIA officials said. Further investigation is underway.

TNM had earlier reported that the NIA, in August, had arrested a man named Zufri Jawhar Damudi from Bhatkal in Karnataka. He allegedly created multiple fake IDs on chat platforms and used those for propagating ISIS ideology and radicalising and recruiting young people.