NIA raids in Gujarat, Bengal, and 3 other states in al-Qaida terror conspiracy case

The NIA conducted raids across five states in a major Al-Qaida Gujarat terror case involving illegal Bangladeshi immigrants, seizing digital evidence and documents during the operation.

The NIA said so far, four Bangladeshis, with links to Al Qaeda, have been identified to have had entered India using forged documents (Representative image).

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday carried out raids at 10 locations across five states in connection with the al-Qaida Gujarat terror conspiracy case, which involves illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.

According to officials, the searches were conducted at premises linked to several suspects and their associates in West Bengal, Tripura, Meghalaya, Haryana, and Gujarat. During the operation, the agency seized digital devices and various incriminating documents, which have been sent for forensic examination.

The case, registered as RC-19/2023/NIA/DLI, was filed by the NIA in June 2023 under provisions of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Indian Penal Code, and the Foreigners Act.

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Investigations so far have revealed that four Bangladeshi nationals — identified as Mohd. Sojibmiyan, Munna Khalid Ansari alias Munna Khan, Azarul Islam alias Jahangir alias Aakash Khan, and Abdul Latif alias Mominul Ansari — had entered India illegally using forged identity documents. The accused were reportedly associated with the banned terror group Al-Qaida.

The probe has found that the men were engaged in raising and transferring funds to Al-Qaida operatives in Bangladesh and were also involved in radicalising Muslim youth.

On November 10, 2023, the NIA filed a chargesheet against five accused before the NIA Special Court in Ahmedabad. The agency said the investigation is ongoing to trace the wider network, connections, and financial routes linked to the terror group’s activities in India and abroad.

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