New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday morning carried out searches at 10 residences of accused persons, at Muthupet, Keelakarai, Devipattinam, Lalpet and Salem in connection with an investigation of Keelakarai PS case. According to the NIA, during these searches, several digital devices including 3 Laptops, 3 Hard discs, 16 mobile phones, 8 SIM cards, 2 Pen drives, five memory cards and one card reader besides two knives and a large no. of incriminating documents have been seized. 

This is another case linked with the entry of ISIS into India. The agency is suspecting that the accused were allegedly supporting ISIS.

Also read: ISIS claims to have established ‘province’ in India, police dismiss report

"The case relates to a group of ten persons from different parts of Tamil Nadu who had formed a WhatsApp group named "SHAHADAT IS OUR GOAL". In 2018, they conspired together to procure arms for their terrorist gang, to raise funds to wage armed struggle, to facilitate the escape of terrorists from jail and to propagate their ideology, to act against the State," NIA said.  

The case was initially registered in April last year at Keelakarai PS of Ramanathapuram District of Tamil Nadu against ten accused, out of which nine accused were arrested earlier. One accused is still absconding. Later, all the nine arrested accused were released on bail by the Court.