The National Investigating Agency (NIA) has arrested an alleged Islamic State fighter, a native of Tamil Nadu, who had returned from Iraq after fighting for the militant group. The NIA said Subahani Haja Moideen, 31, a native of Kadayanallur, Tirunelveli district, Tamil Nadu, was arrested based on the details obtained from the six men from Kerala, who were nabbed from a hilltop in Kannur, where they were planning a secret meeting.
Moideen’s arrest was recorded on Wednesday. He was produced before the NIA court in Kochi, which sent him to police custody for nine days.
The NIA said Moideen has revealed that he had gone to Iraq on April 8, 2015 to join the Islamic State and fight for the organisation. He had left home telling his parents and wife that he was going to perform Umrah.
As per the preliminary examination, he was radicalised and recruited to IS by recruiters active over online social media platforms. He left India for Istanbul from Chennai on a visit visa. After reaching Istanbul, he crossed over along with others, including people from Pakistan and Afghanistan to IS-held territory in Iraq.
He was taken to Mosul in Iraq, where he underwent detailed course in Shariya followed by combat training. On completion of combat training, including training in the automated weapons, he was sent to the war zone in Mosul for security duties in IS-held territory, which he performed for almost two-weeks. He was being paid USD 100 per month as subsistence allowance by the IS along with common available accommodation and food without any additional charges.
He has further revealed that he could not withstand the violence and war misery in Mosul and decided to leave the organisation, after two of his friends were charred alive before him in a shell attack. On conveying his decision to quit the organisation, he was imprisoned by IS at Mosul and was subjected to extreme torture. He, along with other similar deserting foreign fighters, was produced before an IS judge, following which he was again incarcerated at Raqqa in Syria. Sources from the agency have claimed that Moideen was imprisoned for 55 days.
Thereafter, he stayed illegally in Istanbul for about two weeks, before he approached the Indian Consulate, for returning to India. He contacted his family and conveyed his decision to return to India, following which they sent him money for flight tickets. After Turkish Police issued a clearance certificate, he was issued an Emergency Certificate by Indian Consulate, over which he returned to India through Mumbai on 22nd September, 2015.
Sources said Moideen claimed that he met a couple from north Kerala at the IS warfront. “At this stage, we cannot identify the couple,’’ sources said. Last year, The Indian Express had reported that a couple from Kannur was among the 17 Indians believed to have joined the IS.
It is yet to be ascertained why Moideen was allowed to return home, but NIA sources have claimed that he was released when he agreed to carry out missions for the terror outfit in south India.
On his return to India, Subahani Haja went to his ancestral place in Kadaynallur, Tirunelveli, where he was staying till now with his wife. He got a job as a salesman in a gold jewelry shop at Kadayanallur.
According to the agency, Moideen again got in touch with IS handlers over the Internet after his return to India.
“Recently, he received a Telegram message from Syria, asking him to collect Rs 20,000 from near a statue in Chennai. The money was to be used to buy explosives. Moideen collected the amount and went to Sivakasi to procure the explosives, but we foiled the plan by busting the Kerala module last Sunday,’’ NIA sources said, adding that the explosives were meant to carry out blasts in south India.
The six persons suspected to be members of the IS-inspired module in Kerala have reportedly confessed that they planned to target high court judges, a senior police officer and a BJP leader. They also planned to execute an attack at a convention of all religions in Kochi last month, said sources. The venue of the convention was changed after central intelligence agencies alerted the organisers.
Although NIA has not named the police officer and judges who were being targeted, it is learnt that they had handled cases pertaining to Islamic fundamentalism.
Moideen’s arrest was recorded on Wednesday. He was produced before the NIA court in Kochi, which sent him to police custody for nine days.
The NIA said Moideen has revealed that he had gone to Iraq on April 8, 2015 to join the Islamic State and fight for the organisation. He had left home telling his parents and wife that he was going to perform Umrah.
As per the preliminary examination, he was radicalised and recruited to IS by recruiters active over online social media platforms. He left India for Istanbul from Chennai on a visit visa. After reaching Istanbul, he crossed over along with others, including people from Pakistan and Afghanistan to IS-held territory in Iraq.
He was taken to Mosul in Iraq, where he underwent detailed course in Shariya followed by combat training. On completion of combat training, including training in the automated weapons, he was sent to the war zone in Mosul for security duties in IS-held territory, which he performed for almost two-weeks. He was being paid USD 100 per month as subsistence allowance by the IS along with common available accommodation and food without any additional charges.
He has further revealed that he could not withstand the violence and war misery in Mosul and decided to leave the organisation, after two of his friends were charred alive before him in a shell attack. On conveying his decision to quit the organisation, he was imprisoned by IS at Mosul and was subjected to extreme torture. He, along with other similar deserting foreign fighters, was produced before an IS judge, following which he was again incarcerated at Raqqa in Syria. Sources from the agency have claimed that Moideen was imprisoned for 55 days.
Thereafter, he stayed illegally in Istanbul for about two weeks, before he approached the Indian Consulate, for returning to India. He contacted his family and conveyed his decision to return to India, following which they sent him money for flight tickets. After Turkish Police issued a clearance certificate, he was issued an Emergency Certificate by Indian Consulate, over which he returned to India through Mumbai on 22nd September, 2015.
Sources said Moideen claimed that he met a couple from north Kerala at the IS warfront. “At this stage, we cannot identify the couple,’’ sources said. Last year, The Indian Express had reported that a couple from Kannur was among the 17 Indians believed to have joined the IS.
It is yet to be ascertained why Moideen was allowed to return home, but NIA sources have claimed that he was released when he agreed to carry out missions for the terror outfit in south India.
On his return to India, Subahani Haja went to his ancestral place in Kadaynallur, Tirunelveli, where he was staying till now with his wife. He got a job as a salesman in a gold jewelry shop at Kadayanallur.
According to the agency, Moideen again got in touch with IS handlers over the Internet after his return to India.
“Recently, he received a Telegram message from Syria, asking him to collect Rs 20,000 from near a statue in Chennai. The money was to be used to buy explosives. Moideen collected the amount and went to Sivakasi to procure the explosives, but we foiled the plan by busting the Kerala module last Sunday,’’ NIA sources said, adding that the explosives were meant to carry out blasts in south India.
The six persons suspected to be members of the IS-inspired module in Kerala have reportedly confessed that they planned to target high court judges, a senior police officer and a BJP leader. They also planned to execute an attack at a convention of all religions in Kochi last month, said sources. The venue of the convention was changed after central intelligence agencies alerted the organisers.
Although NIA has not named the police officer and judges who were being targeted, it is learnt that they had handled cases pertaining to Islamic fundamentalism.