NIA arrests Qatar-based IS sympathizer in Kerala

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) said it had on Tuesday arrested Islamic State sympathizer Shaibu Nihar from Kerala, upon his arrival here from Qatar, for facilitating travel of some of his associates to Syria to join the terror outfit.

The 39-year-old, a resident of Vattakandathil House in Kozhikode, was arrested from Calicut International Airport. He was produced before a special NIA court in Ernakulam and was sent to judicial custody up to April 22.

The NIA said that the case was originally registered at Wandoor police station under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act on November 6, 2017 on the basis of disclosures made by accused arrested earlier in connection with the case.

"Disclosure made by Hamsa U.K. contains allegations against Shaibu Nihar and other accused persons that while they were working in Bahrain and attending classes at Al Ansar Salafi Centre, there they had shared jihadi ideology and decided to join the ISIS in Syria. Most of his associates had left Bahrain and joined ISIS in Syria," an NIA statement said.

During 2016-2017, Nihar had facilitated travel of some of his associates to Syria with the intention of joining Islamic State and waging war on its behalf against the Syrian government, the agency said.

Nihar, the NIA said, had also himself planned to travel to Syria to join the proscribed outfit in December 2016 from Bahrain while running an advertising company there.

Following the arrest of some of his associates in October 2017, Nihar had shifted to Qatar, where he continued his advertising company, the NIA added.

--IANS

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