NIA Arrests 6th Suspect Linked to ISIS Maharashtra Module; Aakif Nachan Involved in IED Creation
Mumbai/New Delhi, 5th August 2023: In a significant development, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has detained Aakif Ateeque Nachan, marking the sixth arrest in the ISIS Maharashtra module case. Aakif is suspected of playing a pivotal role in the design, construction, and testing of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) with the intention of orchestrating terrorist acts. Additionally, he is accused of aiding in the provision of a safe haven for two other terror operatives.
Aakif was an active participant in advancing the agenda of the ISIS, a designated Foreign Terrorist Organization, in conjunction with four co-conspirators: Zulfikar Ali Barodawala, Mohammed Imran Khan, Mohammed Yunus Saki, and Abdul Kadir Pathan (all recently apprehended by ATS Pune). This collaboration extended to working alongside several other individuals under suspicion. Of note, Imran Khan and Mohammed Yunus Saki, both members of the ‘Sufa terrorist gang,’ were at large and held the status of ‘most wanted’ by the NIA in relation to a case involving the discovery of explosives in a vehicle in Rajasthan in April 2022.
The NIA successfully detained Aakif following a series of raids conducted in Borivali and Tehsil Bhivandi in Thane. Substantial incriminating evidence, including electronic devices and documents, was confiscated during these operations.
In addition to assembling IEDs and procuring requisite materials and components, Aakif facilitated the temporary residence of Imran and Yunus in a house located in Kondhwa, Pune. He was instrumental in organizing and participating in workshops dedicated to crafting explosive devices in the Kondhwa area during 2022. Furthermore, he played a role in the development of a mock IED and the controlled execution of an explosion at this site.
According to findings from NIA investigations, the accused individuals conspired to advance the terrorist endeavors of ISIS (also known as Islamic State (IS)/Islamic State of Iraq and Levant (ISIL)/Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS)/Daish/ Islamic State in Khorasan Province (ISKP)/ISIS Wilayat Khorasan/Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham Khorasan (ISIS-K)). Their intent encompassed acts aimed at disrupting the unity, integrity, security, and sovereignty of the nation, along with waging war against the Government of India.
This development marks the sixth apprehension made by the NIA in connection with the ISIS Maharashtra module case, which centers on a plot to undermine the nation’s peace. The case was officially registered by the NIA on June 28, 2023. In the preceding month, the NIA had taken into custody five individuals: Tabish Nasser Siddiqui from Mumbai, Zubair Noor Mohammed Shaikh @ Abu Nusaiba from Pune, as well as Sharjeel Shaikh and Zulfikar Ali Barodawala from Thane, along with Dr. Adnan Sarkar from Kondhva, Pune. These arrests followed extensive search operations conducted by the NIA in Mumbai, Thane, and Pune.
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