NIA Arrests ‘Highly Radicalised’ ISIS Operative From Varanasi

The National Investigative Agency(NIA) on Wednesday arrested a ‘highly radicalised’ ISIS operative from Varanasi.

The 24 year old Basit Kalam Siddqui was arrested for his active involvement in radicalisation and recruitment of radicalised youth on behalf of ISIS from India.

Siddiqui is said to have been in active touch with ISIS operational handlers based in Afghanistan. On their directions, he was trying to fabricate an explosive ‘Black powder’ and gai8ning knowledge on use of other lethal chemical substances to be used for the fabrication of Improvised Explosive Devices(IEDS).

As per a release by NIA, raids were conducted at two locations in Varanasi and Delhi in the ‘Voice of Hind’ module case. It related to the conspiracy by the proscribed terrorist organisation ISIS to radicalise and recruit impressionable youth in India to wage violent jihad against the country by carrying out acts of terrorist violence.

The release said after it busted the ‘Voice of Hind’ module and arrested six accused int he case, the online propoganda was being pushed through a new online magazine called ‘Voice of Khorasan’.

And this arrested Varanasi based youth was involved in the content creation, publication and dissemination of ISIS propaganada through this online magazine. He was also imparting training on making of explosives through varios Telegram groups he operated for carrying out terror attacks against vital installations and common people. 

Siddiqui, as per the release, was also preparing to undertake ‘hijrat’ to Khorasan for joining active ISIS terrorists in combat.

The NIA has siezed handwritten notes related to fabrication of IEDs and explosives, mobile phones, laptops, pendrives etc in the ongoing investigation.