NIA arrests sixth suspect in IS Maharashtra module case

Extensive searches conducted by the NIA in Mumbai, Thane, and Pune led to the subsequent arrests.

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday said it has arrested the sixth accused in connection with the IS Maharashtra module case related to IS’ conspiracy to disrupt peace in the country.

The accused was identified as Aakif Ateeque Nachan. The NIA said that he was arrested for his involvement in the fabrication and testing of Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) for commission of terrorist acts and arranging a hideout for two other terror operatives.

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“Aakif was found actively involved in promotion of the terror related activities of the ISIS, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organisation, in collaboration with four other accused, namely Zulfikar Ali Barodawala, Mohammed Imran Khan, Mohammed Yunus Saki and Abdul Kadir Pathan (all arrested recently by ATS Pune), along with some other suspects.

“Imran Khan and Mohammed Yunus Saki, members of the ‘Sufa terrorist gang’ were absconding and had been declared ‘most wanted’ by the NIA in a case relating to the recovery of explosives from a car in Rajasthan in April 2022,” said the NIA.

The NIA nabbed Aakif after a series of raids in Borivali, Tehsil Bhivandi in Thane. Various incriminating materials, such as electronic gadgets and documents etc., were also seized during the raids.

The official said that besides assembly of IEDs and purchasing materials and components for the fabrication of IEDs, Aakif had facilitated the stay of Imran and Yunus at a house in Kondhwa, Pune.

The accused had organised and participated in bomb-making workshops in Kondhwa in 2022 and had also been involved in preparation of a ‘demo IED’.

As per NIA investigations, the accused had hatched a conspiracy to further the terrorist activities of the Islamic State (IS).

The case was registered by NIA on June 28.

Last month, the NIA had arrested five accused — Tabish Nasser Siddiqui from Mumbai; Zubair Noor Mohammed Shaikh alias Abu Nusaiba from Pune; Sharjeel Shaikh and Zulfikar Ali Barodawala from Thane, and Adnan Sarkar from Kondhva, Pune.