NIA arrests 2 women operatives in ISIS Kerala module case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday arrested two women who are operatives of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIS) from Kannur in connection with the ISIS Kerala module case.

The accused are identified as Mizha Siddeeque and Shifa Harris, both are residents of district Kannur. The two women are accused of creating pages on Instagram and other social networking sites to propagate, motivate, radicalize and recruit gullible Muslim youth for ISIS, said NIA in a statement.

The NIA had registered a suo-moto case under sections various Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act on March 5 this year pertaining to terrorist activities of one Mohammed Ameen alias Abu Yahya, resident of Kerala, and his associates.

“Ameen and his other associates have been running various ISIS propaganda channels on different social media platforms such as Telegram, Hoop and Instagram for propagating the violent jihadi ideology of ISIS and radicalizing and recruiting new members for the ISIS module,” said the NIA.

The investigation has revealed that Mizha Siddeeque is affiliated with ISIS. She had travelled to Tehran along with her associates to join ISIS in Syria.

On instructions of Ameen, the NIA said, Mizha Siddeeque had created a page on Instagram to propagate, motivate, radicalise and recruit gullible Muslim youth for ISIS.

She had also radicalized other accused in the case namely her cousin Mus’Hab Anwar, Shifa Harris and was motivating them to join ISIS.

Shifa Harris alias Ayesha has an affiliation with ISIS and on directions of accused Mus’Hab Anwar and Mizha. She had transferred funds to Mohammad Waqar Lone alias Wilson Kashmiri for supporting ISIS activities. She was willing to perform Hijra to ISIS-controlled territory for joining ISIS. Further investigation in the matter is underway.