The investigating agency had kept an eye on his movement and others for the past seven months.
Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
In a fresh development, the two squads of National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted raids at nine different places and arrested Mohammed Zoheb Khan (40, resident of lane number 4, Berri Baugh in Harsul) on Thursday early morning.
NIA was keeping an eye on the activities and movement of few youths in the city for the past seven months. The agency detected that Zoheb was connected with ISIS through the internet for the last two years. Hence the agency compiled all the evidence claiming his involvement.
According to the NIA, Zoheb has come to notice that he was preaching and publicising ISIS through social media platforms. Later on, NIA (Mumbai Branch) registered a case against him. Accordingly, two squads arrived in the city on Thursday early morning. They contacted the senior police officials of the police headquarters and then with the help of a few personnel conducted raids at nine places and then arrested Zoheb in the afternoon.
It is being said that he was radicalising local youths through social media and was provoking them to join ISIS. Meanwhile, the NIA’s action has surprised the city police and ATS section. The NIA squads conducted an inquiry with the relatives and friends of Zoheb till late in the night.
ISIS literature, laptop, mobile seized
The NIA team confiscated a laptop, a mobile phone from Zoheb’s house. It also came across ISIS literature and other books on radicalisation. The documents explaining on shifting to Syria were also possessed by Zoheb. The NIA squad seized all the published material and documents. The squad also recovered a video taking a ‘baiyath’ and oath to fulfil the motto of ISIS.
According to the NIA, Zoheb and his friends were in touch with ISIS networks in the country for the past few months. They were also consistently in touch with an agent of ISIS and other terrorist organisations situated abroad. They used to make calls and exchange messages in Urdu and English languages on social media.
It is learnt that Zoheb and his friends, diverted towards terrorism, used to focus on few important places, buildings and heritage places. They were also planning to shift to Syria. Hence they were in touch with ISIS supporters from other states and continued to hatch conspiracies, stressed the team.
Second time terror connection of city in one month
Earlier, the UP-ATS had investigated 11 persons from the city ahead of dedicating the Lord Ram Mandir temple in Ayodhya, in January. In the meantime, the Karnataka police came across a provocative video of a few youths. The video mentioned Osama Bin Laden and Burhan Wani as the ideals. Later on, the ATS held the investigation and during inquiry had also confiscated some objectionable material and articles.