NIA conduct searches in Hyderabad to probe terror module

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday conducted searches at three places in Hyderabad as part of the investigations into the suspected Islamic State (IS) terror module busted in the city last week.

Three teams of NIA with the help of Hyderabad police conducted the searches at three places in the old city.

Seventeen live rounds of 9mm pistol, two computers and two scanners were seized during the searches in Talab Katta and Barkas, NIA officials said.

The raids were conducted on the basis of information gathered from five accused who are currently in the custody of NIA.

Officials said 17 live rounds were found from a hidden location in the house of Habeeb Mohammed, one of the five accused, in Barkas.

A computer and a scanner were seized from the house of another accused Ibrahim Yazdani in Talab Katta. He is believed to have used the computer for online communication with his handler.

An Internet centre run by Ibrahim's relative in Talabkatta was also raided by a NIA team, which seized a computer and a scanner. Ilyas Yazdani, one of the accused, told the investigators that he used the same centre for scanning the pledge for online communication with the handler.

The accused were using 'kunya' or aliases for organisational purposes. They had also distributed functional portfolios among themselves, said the NIA.

Ibrahim Yazdani was acting 'Raa'bit' or the communicating incharge, Ilyas religious affairs incharge, Rizwan was 'mahasib' or accountant while Habeeb was 'askari' or armed matters incharge.

The five accused, all residents of various places in the city, were arrested by the NIA on June 29. According to NIA, they were allegedly plotting bomb attacks and indiscriminate firing at crowded places including religious sites and sensitive government buildings in various parts of the country.

They were allegedly being guided by an online handler suspected to be based in Iraq/Syria.

A city court on June 30 sent the accused to 12-day custody of the NIA.

--IANS

ms/vd