NIA arrests Chennai man who went to Sudan to join ISIS in Libya

Chennai: A 23-year-old youth from Chennai who was working in Dubai had been deported to Delhi on Friday from Sudan after he was allegedly found trying to establish contact with IS handlers to go to Libiya, sources here said.

As soon as he landed in Delhi the sleuths from the National Investigation Agency arrested him. This is the first time NIA is arresting a man from Tamil Nadu for alleged links with IS.

“We are in touch with NIA team to know more details about him,” a senior police official from TN police head quarters said here. Chennai police officers however claimed that they were not aware of the arrest of city youth in Delhi by NIA.

The youth identified as Mohamed Nazir, a computer diploma holder, from Chennai with roots in Papanasam, Tirunelveli, was working in Dubai since 2014, where his father Packeer Mohamed was also employed. He visited Chennai last in May this year, sources said.

It is believed that he was in touch with IS recruiter in Dubai named ‘Mad Mullah’ who provided him with fake travel documents asking him to reach Sudan from where he would be able travel to Libiya to join the IS fighters.

So far Indian agencies believed that all those Indians lured by IS were fighting along the border of Syria and Iraq.

In November two TN youths were deported from Turkey for their suspected activities but were allowed to be with their families by the central and state agencies after few rounds of counseling.

According to a recent intelligence report, nearly 150 youth in the country are under the surveillance of security agencies for their alleged leanings towards ISIS, responsible for the recent terror attacks in Paris.

The 150 people, mostly from South India, are believed to be attracted to the ISIS and sympathetic to the group's activities.

Twenty-three Indians have so far joined the ISIS, six of whom were reportedly killed.