SRINAGAR: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted search operations at 26 locations across five states over the weekend, targeting individuals allegedly linked to the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), reports appearing in media said. At least one person was arrested.
The raids carried out on Saturday, spanned multiple districts in Maharashtra, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Assam, and Uttar Pradesh, with one person arrested and several others detained for questioning.
The individual arrested, identified as Sheikh Sultan Salah Uddin Ayubi, is accused of playing an active role in a conspiracy case under investigation by the NIA’s Delhi unit. Ayubi’s involvement in disseminating terror-related propaganda and radicalising youth, particularly through connections to JeM, has made him a key suspect in the agency’s ongoing probe. He is expected to be produced before the NIA Special Court in Patiala House, New Delhi, reports appearing in sections of the media suggest.
Searches were conducted in districts including Baramulla, Pulwama, and Ramban in Jammu and Kashmir; Aurangabad, Jalna, and Malegaon in Maharashtra; Goalpara in Assam; and Saharanpur and Meerut in Uttar Pradesh. The operation involved joint efforts with local anti-terror units, including Maharashtra’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), to track down suspects involved in anti-national activities.
During the raids, NIA teams seized a range of “incriminating” materials, including documents, electronic devices, pamphlets, and magazines. These are currently being examined for further evidence linking the suspects to terrorist activities. Several individuals were detained for questioning, as the NIA continues to investigate possible recruitment and radicalisation efforts aimed at youth across India.
According to an official statement, the suspects were allegedly engaged in radicalising individuals through JeM propaganda and motivating them to carry out violent terror attacks. The raids also revealed connections to a wider network of individuals associated with JeM, with the aim of preventing further acts of terrorism across the country.
This latest operation is part of an ongoing NIA investigation into JeM’s activities and recruitment efforts. Earlier in the year, the Jammu and Kashmir Police had arrested two overground workers linked to JeM in Kathua, following a terror attack on an Indian Army convoy that resulted in the deaths of five soldiers.
