Held in ISIS terror module case, Riyas Aboobacker in NIA custody till May 10

Riyas Aboobacker, who was held in Kasargod ISIS terror module case, would be in the custody of National Investigation Agency (NIA) till May 10. Aboobacker, arrested on April 29, was produced in the special NIA court here on Monday.

According to the investigating agency, Aboobacker was allegedly planning suicide attacks at international tourist destinations in Kerala. He was arrested from Palakkad.

In 2017, the NIA had registered a case against five people from Valapattanam in Kannur district for their alleged IS links. The investigation revealed Riyas' link with the IS.

The 29-year-old is said to have followed the speeches and videos of Sri Lankan Sunday Easter bombing mastermind Zahran Hashim till he was not arrested. It has been said that he was preparing himself mentally to become a suicide bomber.

According to NIA, Riyas revealed during interrogation that he was in contact with an absconder in the case Abdul Rashid Abdulla alias Abu Isa and was following his audio clips, in which he was heard instigating others to carry out attacks in India.

Riyas also disclosed that he was in contact with Abdul Khayoom alias Abu Khalid, an accused in Valapattanam ISIS case. Khalid is believed to be in Syria now.

NIA had earlier received inputs that a group of four persons were in contact with some of the accused including Abdul Rashid, Ashfaq Majeed, and Abdul Khayoom, who has already migrated to Afghanistan and Syria.

Acting on specific inputs, NIA carried out searches at three places, two in Kasargod and one in Palakkad, last week, and arrested Aboobacker.

It is worth mentioning that in 2016 as many as 15 persons had disappeared from Kasargod and allegedly migrated to Afghanistan and Syria to join the ISIS. A case was registered in the matter, which is being investigated by the NIA.