India's Counterterrorism Agency Files Charges Against 16 Daesh Suspects

India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed charges against 16 suspected Daesh operatives from across the country who have already been arrested; they have been accused of recruiting for the self-proclaimed Islamic State and financing their radicalization and training.

NEW DELHI (Sputnik) — India's National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a Supplementary Charge-sheet in the Special NIA Court in New Delhi against 16 suspected terrorist recruiters.

The NIA charges outline the role of the accused in a larger Daesh conspiracy to further its ideology, which also included initial plans to carry out attacks in different parts of India, sources told Sputnik. The NIA is a federal agency tasked with combatting terrorism in India; it was founded in 2009 in response to the 2008 Mumbai terrorist attacks.

According to the NIA, the Daesh suspects, together with others in India and Indian nationals living abroad, have been actively involved in the identification, radicalization, recruitment and training of jihadists. Additionally, the suspects are accused of making travel arrangements for Indian terrorist recruits heading to Syria, Libya and Iraq to join the radical Islamists.

They did so using different internet services, as well as telephone and one-on-one meetings to further the Daesh ideology in India.

The NIA has filed charges against Mohd Aleem, Mohd Obaidullah Khan, Nafees Khan, Mohd Shareef Moinuddin Khan, Asif Ali, Najmul Huda, Mudabbir Mushtaq Shaikh, Mohd Abdul Ahad, Suhail Ahmed, Syed Mujahid, Mohd Hussain Khan, Mohd Afzal, Imran and Abu Anas. 

These accused were arrested during NIA raids in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Tumkur and Aurangabad near Mumbai. During the raids, explosive chemicals, arms and cash were found in the hideouts of the accused.