Indian-born US national deported by US for his alleged links with al-Qaeda

A man hailing from Telengana, who was alleged by the US of being an al-Qaeda operative, has been deported to India after air travel between the two countries resumed partially, officials said on Thursday.

Ibrahim Zubair Mohammad, an Indian-born US national, arrived at Amritsar airport on May 19 where he was questioned about the allegations levelled against him by the US authorities, the officials said.

After questioning, he was sent for a 14-day coronavirus quarantine at a facility in Amritsar, the officials said, adding there was no evidence so far to link him to the global terror organisation al-Qaeda till now.

Mohammad had arrived in the US in 2001 and married in 2006 after which he became a permanent resident of the United States.

According to a release of US Justice Department of 2018, Ibrahim Mohammad, an Indian citizen, studied engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign from 2001 through 2005.

In or around 2006, he moved to Toledo, Ohio, and married a US citizen and became a lawful permanent resident of the United States in or around 2007.

He along with two others had pleaded guilty to one count of concealment of financing of terrorism, especially to Anwar Al-Awlaki, a key leader of Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula who advocated violence against the United States and supported and was involved in attempted terrorist attacks against civilians, the US Justice Department release said.

According to an order of the US District court for the Northern district of Ohio, Mohammad along with his brother and two others "did knowingly and intentionally provide material support and resources...including currency and monetary instruments, knowing and intending that they were to be used in preparation for, and in carrying out, violations" of the US laws.

According to the order, Mohammad along with others "would corruptly alter, destroy, mutilate, and conceal records, documents...including email communications stored on accounts...with the intent to impair the integrity and availability of these records, documents...for use in an official proceeding; and would corruptly obstruct, influence, and impede an official proceeding".