NIA arrests two wanted criminals in Rajasthan terror conspiracy case

NIA said they have arrested two wanted absconding accused, including the kingpin, in the 2022 case relating to the seizure of explosives and IED material

New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday said they have arrested two wanted absconding accused, including the kingpin, in the 2022 case relating to the seizure of explosives and IED material from Rajasthan’s Chittorgarh district which was part of the IS-inspired terror conspiracy of the ‘SUFA’ terrorist outfit.

The accused were identified as Mohammad Yunus Saki and Imran Khan alias Yusuf, both are residents of Ratlam. The accused were produced before the NIA Special Court, Jaipur on Monday.

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“NIA expects their arrest to lead the agency into establishing the missing links in the case and unearth the outfit’s linkages to active members and sleeper modules of the ISIS in India. Mohammad Yunus Saki and Imran Khan were actively engaged in spreading the ISIS ideology before their arrests from Maharashtra,” said the NIA.

The NIA said that it had earlier seized explosives and various components used in the fabrication of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) from the possession of the accused, wanted in the case. It said that their investigations had subsequently revealed that the two men had procured the materials and substances for fabricating the IEDs with the intent of spreading terror and mayhem in Rajasthan and elsewhere in India.

“The arrested duo were highly trained in IED fabrication, and were also involved in training their co-accused in making such devices at the Poultry Farm of the mastermind, Imran Khan. The said poultry farm was attached by the NIA last month. After they fled to Mumbai and subsequently settled in Pune last year, they organized at least two IED Training and Fabrication Workshops in Pune last year,” said the official. Kingpin Imran and ten other accused were charge-sheeted in the case by NIA in September last year.