Five States Targeted in Al Qaeda Investigation?
NIA Raids Across Five States in search of Al Qaeda-Linked Bangladeshi Terror Suspects
Overview
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted extensive raids in five indian states — West Bengal, Tripura, Meghalaya, Haryana, and Gujarat.
The operation is linked to the al qaeda Gujarat terror plot case registered in 2023.
The investigation targets illegal Bangladeshi immigrants suspected of involvement with al qaeda and Al-Qaeda in the indian Subcontinent (AQIS).
Details of the Case (2023)
The NIA registered the case in 2023, naming four Bangladeshi nationals:Mohammad Sojib MianMunna Khalid AnsariAzrul IslamAbdul Latif
The accused allegedly entered india illegally from bangladesh using forged indian identity documents.
Raids were conducted at 10 locations, targeting suspects and their associates.
Digital devices, forged IDs, and documents were seized and sent for forensic examination.
Links to Al Qaeda
According to the NIA, the accused individuals were associated with the banned Al-Qaeda organization.
They were involved in:
Collecting and transferring funds for Al-Qaeda operatives in Bangladesh.
Radicalizing Muslim youth and promoting extremist ideologies.
The NIA filed a charge sheet in a special court in ahmedabad on november 10, 2023.
Maharashtra ATS Involvement
In a related development, the maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested a software engineer, Zubair Hungergekar (37), from Pune.
He was accused of having links with Al-Qaeda and AQIS and participating in radicalization activities.
The ATS also questioned a teacher from thane during the investigation.
Investigators found a Pakistani contact number saved on Hungergekar’s old phone, intensifying the probe.