The National Investigation Agency (NIA), has commenced an investigation into terror recruitment activities linked to the proscribed extremist group Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT). In a recent joint operation, the Cyber Crime division of the Chennai Central Crime Branch arrested Dr. Hameedu Hussain, a resident of Royapettah, Chennai. Hussain, a Petroleum Chemical Engineer and Honorary Professor at Anna University, was detained alongside his father, Ahmed Mansoor, and sibling, Abdul Rahman. The trio has been charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for their association with HuT, which is banned in more than 32 countries. Based on information obtained from the arrested individuals, police have also detained Chennai residents Mohammad Maurice, Qader Nawaz Sharif, and Ahmed Ali Umari for their connections with the suspects.
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The gravity of the offences necessitated NIA’s involvement, with the investigation now led by a Deputy Superintendent of Police. NIA officials stated that Dr. Hameed Hussain is suspected of actively recruiting for terrorist groups and has a history of international travel, which is currently under scrutiny. It has been learned that Hussain’s close associates, who have deactivated their mobile phones, are now fugitives.
According to a Tamil daily quoting NIA sources, the ongoing investigation reveals that Hussain orchestrated training sessions and secret meetings on extremist ideologies not just in Chennai but also in Karur and Kanyakumari. Efforts are underway to gather information about the ‘Modern Essential Educational Trust,’ established for similar purposes, and to track the individuals involved with this entity. The group has utilised platforms like YouTube for recruitment and radicalization of youths in Tamil Nadu.
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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has intensified its efforts against Islamic State (IS) recruitment networks in Tamil Nadu, following a series of arrests and raids earlier this year. In February, the NIA conducted extensive searches across 21 locations in the state, resulting in the arrest of four individuals and targeting 11 sites linked to an educational institution accused of indoctrinating youth with IS ideologies under the guise of Arabic language instruction. These indoctrination efforts were aimed at inciting the youth to commit terrorist acts.
The raids, which focused on Madras Arabic College and Kovai Arabic College, unveiled covert radicalization efforts. The NIA seized six laptops, 25 mobile phones, 34 SIM cards, six SD cards, three hard drives, and numerous documents and material evidence. The investigation revealed that these institutions were involved in spreading extremist ideologies.
The NIA’s operations in Tamil Nadu have been twofold: one focusing on IS cells inspired by Zahran Hashim, the mastermind behind the 2019 Sri Lanka Easter bombings, and the other on the 2022 Coimbatore car explosion and the broader issue of IS indoctrination and recruitment within the state. The radicalisation campaign also unfolded online, utilising social media platforms and messaging apps like WhatsApp and Telegram. IS affiliates exploited these digital channels and educational classes to deliver extremist lectures promoting Khilafat and IS doctrines, contrary to India’s values of secularism and democracy.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has intensified its investigation into the recruitment activities of Islamic State (IS) affiliates in Tamil Nadu, uncovering a network grooming susceptible youths for terrorist activities, including the Coimbatore car bombing. Ten individuals apprehended in connection with the bombing were found to have ties to Kovai Arabic College in Coimbatore.
Recent NIA raids led to the arrest of four individuals linked to Madras Arabic College, including its founder, Jameel Basha Umari, known for his advocacy of fundamentalism, extremism, and radicalization. Umari, along with two other detainees, Maulvi Hussain Faizy and Irshath, played a pivotal role in renaming Madras Arabic College to Kovai Arabic College. The fourth individual, Syed Abdur Rahman Umari, was caught incriminating ISIS-related materials and actively disseminating ISIS principles to those implicated in the Coimbatore car bombing through secret gatherings and sermons.
NIA’s findings indicate that these individuals were instrumental in grooming youths for terrorist deeds and illegal activities. The investigation also revealed that radicalization efforts extended beyond physical locations to online platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram, where extremist ideologies were promoted.
A disturbing video, appearing to be an interview in Malayalam, illustrates the indoctrination methods taught in some madrasas. The speaker describes how young students are instructed to convert their friends by first changing their names to Muslim ones, removing any non-Islamic religious symbols, and gradually isolating them from their parents. This video highlights the extremist mindset fostered in these institutions, which operate with government aid.
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The NIA’s probe has extended to the dissemination of extremist ideologies and the promotion of violent jihad among unsuspecting students enrolled in Arabic courses at various local study centres throughout Tamil Nadu. The agency is now focusing on dismantling this network to prevent further radicalization and ensure national security.
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