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The Central Crime Branch Chennai Cyber Crime Police (CCB-Cyber Crime) has arrested six individuals under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for allegedly recruiting members for Hizb ut-Tahrir in Royapettah. The arrested individuals include Dr Hameed Hussain, his father Mansoor, brother Abdul Rahman, and their associates Mohammed Maris, Khader Nawaz Sharif, and Ahmed Ali Umari.
According to Cyber Crime Police sources, the arrests were made following an investigation revealing that the group had utilised YouTube campaigns to recruit members for Hizb ut-Tahrir, an organisation banned in multiple countries. The Chennai Police submitted all case-related documents to the Tamil Nadu Government, prompting the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to register a case and undertake further investigations.
On June 30, the NIA conducted searches at 12 locations across Chennai, Pudukkottai, Thanjavur, and Trichy. These raids led to the arrest of Abdul Rahman and Mujibur Rahman, also known as Mujibur Rahman Altham Sahib, from Thanjavur district. During these operations, authorities seized mobile phones, laptops, SIM cards, memory cards, books, and documents promoting Hizb ut-Tahrir, Khilafah, and Islamic State ideologies. The ongoing NIA investigation indicates that the arrested individuals had recruited members for the internationally banned organisation through their online campaigns.
The case has been transferred from the Central Crime Branch-Cyber Crime Police to the NIA, which now handles all related documents and evidence. Further investigations by the NIA will focus on financial transactions involving the arrested individuals. Officials plan to trace the flow of funds into their bank accounts and identify other potential beneficiaries. The national anti-terror probe agency is also considering taking the six individuals into police custody for further questioning as part of the probe. Re-raids may be conducted based on newly acquired evidence and documents obtained from the initial investigations.
The arrests highlight the growing use of digital platforms by extremist organisations to recruit members and the efforts by Indian authorities to counter such activities. The involvement of the NIA signifies the severity of the case and the Government’s commitment to tackling terrorism and unlawful activities within the country. As the investigation progresses, more details are expected to emerge, shedding light on the extent of the group’s operations and their connections to international terrorist organisations.
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