NIA raids 44 locations in Maharashtra and Karnataka, arrests 15 suspected Islamic State operatives

The National Investigation Agency on Saturday arrested 15 suspected operatives of terrorist organisation Islamic State during a crackdown across Maharashtra and Karnataka.

Teams of the National Investigation Agency raided 44 locations in Padgha-Borivali, Thane, Mira Road, and Pune in Maharashtra and Bengaluru in Karnataka on Saturday morning, the counter-terrorism law enforcement agency said in a statement.

The 15 persons are accused of promoting terror and terror-related acts and activities of the proscribed organisation, the agency said.

The agency said it had recovered and seized cash, firearms, sharp-edged weapons, incriminating documents, smartphones and other digital devices during the raids.

“[The raids were] conducted as part of NIA’s ongoing efforts to disrupt and demolish the attempts of [the] Islamic State of Iraq and Syria to carry out violent acts of terror and take innocent lives,” the agency said.

The Islamic State and its units are banned in India under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

NIA Swoops Down on 44 Locations in M’Rashtra & K’Nataka, Arrests 15 ISIS Operatives of ISIS Maharashtra Module pic.twitter.com/bcvJBOIA3M— NIA India (@NIA_India) December 9, 2023

The National Investigation Agency said that its investigation had revealed that the accused, all members of the Islamic State’s Maharashtra module, were operating from Padgha-Borivali, “where they had hatched the conspiracy to spread terror and carry out acts of violence”...

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