Wayanad on national terror radar

KALPETTA: The yet to be confirmed involvement of Riaz Rasheed alias Dineshan, 38, a native of Wayanad, in the Pathankott terror attack has once again brought into focus the functioning of terror modules in Wayanad.

It is to be recalled that NIA had taken into custody Riaz in connection with the Pathankott terror attack a few days back by tracking the mobile phone calls he made to Pakistan.

The terror links of the district were first exposed with the police killing four youths from the state, including two youths from Kannur at the Jammu and Kashmir border in October 2008, while crossing into Pakistan occupied Kashmir to reach the terror camps run by Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT).

LeT South India commander Thadiyantavide Nazeer, one of the key recruiters, had visited Varampatta in Wayanad to meet Pathungan Ibrahim Moulavi, who masterminded the recruitment of youngsters for 'jehad' in Kashmir, according to investigation agencies.

'Moulavi', a native of Vellamunda near Mananthavadi, was arrested in 2012 by Karnataka police from Kasargod.  Shafaz, a Lashkar- e-Toiba militant who was arrested from Meghalaya, another militant Ayoob, a close relative of Moulavi, and Thadiyantavide Nazeer met at Wayaand, where the trio had stayed for a few days in 2008, according to investigation agencies.

They vanished soon after the news reports on the killing of recruited youth started flowing in. Moulavi was the 'host' and a house was rented for their stay. Another associate of Moulavi, Muthalib Sakhafi was a priest (Khatheeb) at a mosque near Padinjarethara near Mananthavadi.

It is to be recalled that Riaz was suspected of being sent to Saudi Arabia after 2000. “In that period, LeT had also operated training centres in some secret spots of North Wayanad region and firing ranges for training also functioned", said an official.

"Though no action was taken based on the report, the existence of terror modules was confirmed only in 2008 after the killing of youths in Kashmir," he added.