NEW DELHI: The NIA on Tuesday took over the probe into 21 missing youths from Kerala, including women, who are suspected to have joined Islamic State.
Kerala police had meticulously investigated the case and identified at least 21 youths who have gone missing from the state. Among them 17 were from Kasaragod and four from Palakkad. They include four women and three children.
Out of those women who have joined ISIS, two women are from Palakkad.
The probe so far has revealed that the 21 persons had left India in May to July this year and took separate routes to reach ISIS held areas.
Sources said the Kerala police had finished its part of investigation and the case was transferred to the NIA for carrying out the probe overseas. The exercise will include collecting of evidence from foreign countries.
The probe by the state police was wound up with the arrest of a 29-year-old woman from Bihar, suspected to be involved in recruitment of young men and women from Kerala for ISIS. She was taken into custody just before she was to board a plane to Kabul where her husband, also allegedly linked to ISIS, is currently located.
The woman, identified as Yasmin Ahmed, was arrested by a special team of Kerala police from Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi when she was about to leave the country for Kabul earlier this month.
NIA and state police forces have so far arrested 54 ISIS operatives in last two years while some 50 are learnt to have joined ISIS in Iraq and Syria.
Bureau Report
Leave a Reply