Belgaum police nab extremist Muslim in possession of jehadi material,

Cops nab alleged Simi activist
Kunal Chatterjee
Sunday, August 03, 2008 03:45 IST

BANGALORE: The Belgaum police have arrested Tanvir Abdul Sattar Mulla , 31, an alleged SIMI activist and found three CDs containing information on how to make bombs. Modified gas cylinders were also found, say the cops who added that his arrest will provide the police with possible clues to the blasts. Belgaum SP, Soniya Nareng, told DNA, “We had specific information about him. We have been on a lookout for him since then.”

She said that three CDs also contained Jehadi materials, Islamic speech, footage of Ahmedabad and Mumbai blasts as well as the Babri Masjid demolition. Tanvir was arrested earlier by Hubli police for his alleged involvement in the Hubli blasts. Three days ago, Bangalore police had detained Samir Sadique, another SIMI activist.
Tanvir and Sadique are both close accomplices of Yasir, son of Hyderabad cleric Moulana Naseruddin, suspected of involvement in the murder of former Gujarat home minister Haren Pandya. His younger brother Mohammad Ghouse, alias Naseer, was arrested by Bangalore police for his alleged involvement in terror activities in Karnataka.
During interrogation, Naseer told the police he would avenge his father’s arrest by executing terror attacks. Yasir’s arrest also revealed he was planning similar attacks.
Another explosive device was recovered and defused in Bangalore late last night. “It was a low intensity explosive, without any timer and was found at Channapatna,” DGP R Sri Kumar said. It was placed in a small tin and found by a local, who informed the police. A bomb squad has defused it.

Police say it could have been dropped for testing. Sources said the bomb was similar to the ones used in the Bangalore blasts lending credence to the theory that locals may have been behind the blasts.

Islamic terror modules were being set up in Belgaum: IB

Terror modules were being set up in Belgaum: IB
Vicky Nanjappa in Bengaluru
June 05, 2008 16:07 IST

The arrest of several Students Islamic Movement of India activists has proven that Karnataka was waiting to be attacked.

The police feel that with these arrests, they have waded away the threat of a terror attack to a large extent.

However, now Intelligence Bureau sources tell rediff.com that terror modules were being set up in Belgaum, which borders Maharashtra.

The arrest of Liyakat Ali Sayeed in Belgaum on May 14 has helped the police get a better picture of the terror operations, which were being planned in the border district of Karnataka.

According to the IB, Belgaum was a good spot for terror modules as it would have been easier for them to carry out inter-state operations.

Interrogations conducted on Liyakat reveal that he was laying the ground to set up a group of youths in Belgaum to take up the terrorist-interpreted jihadi path.

Liyakat, who belongs to the banned SIMI outfit, was handed the task of coaxing youths into joining the outfit and later carry out anti-social activities in and around the state.

SIMI, which decided to rejuvenate itself, has been looking to set up a unit in Belgaum so that inter-state activities are easier to carry out.

They were facing logistic problems to transport arms as they did not have a strong unit in the bordering districts.

Belgaum was chosen as the next hub by SIMI, but over a period of time, they realised that the youths in this place were not thinking in the manner they would have wanted them to.

SIMI then identified a couple of people including Liyakat to spread the message of jihad so as to influence more and more youths into taking up this path.

The Belgaum police claim that with the arrest of Liyakat, a major headache has been averted. They say that he had managed to influence several youths through his preachings.

Liyakat, who came down to Belgaum from London [Images] eight months back according to the police, would first make friends with the youths.

He would then distribute CDs containing clips of atrocities being committed against Muslims across the world. He had convinced several youths that the only way to safeguard their community was through violence.

The police say that a video of an anti-Modi protest shows Liyakat shouting slogans. They say he had his face half covered in order to conceal his identity, but repeated viewing of the video clip confirms that it was Liyakat who had taken part in the rally.

Interrogations are still on and the police are now trying to get more information regarding the plans Liyakat had to set up a strong wing of the SIMI.

The police patrol on the borders of Maharashtra and Karnataka has been spruced up as they feel there could be more infiltration in the coming days.

Revealed: How SIMI works

Revealed: How SIMI works
Vicky Nanjappa, June 05, 2008

The Students Islamic Movement of India, which was outlawed in 2001, is back in the news following last November’s blasts in Uttar Pradesh and last month’s Jaipur terror attack.

The Jaipur blasts reveal that SIMI is still active, and the recent spate of arrests in Bangalore and Indore have not deterred the organisation. According to Intelligence Bureau sources, SIMI provides logistical support to the Pakistan-based Laskhar-e-Tayiba and the Harkat-ul-Jihadi.

An IB dossier on the organisation indicates that SIMI split into two in 2006. The dossier was prepared following the interrogation of SIMI General Secretary Safdar Nagori, who was arrested on March 26 in Indore. It says SIMI, which had an active membership of 400 members across the country, split into two groups of 300 and 100 each.

Despite the split and the spate of arrests in early 2008, IB sources say the group has about 250 active members in various parts of the country. Security agencies had believed the arrest of around 20 SIMI activists including Nagori, P A Shibli (secretary general) and Yahya Kamakutty (president, Karnataka zone) would bring SIMI to heel.

The split showed up serious ideological differences between the two factions. According to Nagori’s confession, he developed differences with Dr Shahid Badr Falahi, SIMI’s former president, over the organisation’s political role. He also had differences with current SIMI president Misba-ul-Islam. Nagori advocated an aggressive approach while Misba-ul-Islam argued for a more moderate one.

To sort out the dispute, a meeting was held at Ujjain on July 6, 2006. At the meeting several members voiced their support for Nagori and broke away to form a separate outfit.

Members of the Misba-ul-Islam faction have gone underground, but there are no reports this outfit is involved in terrorism. On the other hand, the Nagori faction tied up with Lashkar and Harkat and helped those organisations undertake terror attacks.
Nagori claimed he even organised an all women unit, the Shaheen Force. During his interrogation, he revealed he had recruited 200 women.

‘We decided on recruiting women as we felt they were more reliable,’ he told his interrogators. He said the women were told to identify young Muslim youth and brainwash them into taking up jihad. Detectives feel the Shaheen Force could have played a role in both the UP and Jaipur blasts.

Nagori revealed that the women would train the youth in stages. The youth are first convinced that they need to fight for their religion. They are then handed over provocative audio/video clippings which selectively depict the atrocities being committed on Muslims by the West and Israel in Afghanistan, Palestine, Iraq, Algeria, and Bosnia. Apart from this they are made to watch documentaries which highlight incidents in Jammu and Kashmir, Gujarat and Ayodhya. The women, according to Nagori, are told to concentrate on the Gujarat riots while speaking to the likely recruits.

Once the young men are convinced to take the jihadi path, the role of the Shaheen Force ends. The youth are handed over to their male counterparts for training in arms and explosives.

Suspected Islamic terrorist Liyakatali Sayeed: A dedicated Jihad activist

‘Suspected terrorist is a jihadi activist’
Tuesday June 3 2008, Express News Service

BELGAUM: Suspected Islamic terrorist Liyakatali Sayeed, who was arrested on May 14 from his house at Kusru Nagar in Malmaruti extension, is a dedicated Jihad activist.

Sources close to the this website’s newspaper said that Liyakatali was involved in Jihadi activities and tried his best to misguide and motivate educated Muslim youths in Belgaum to join the cause.

Liyakatali, who had returned to Belgaum from London nine months ago, had succeeded in influencing a few Muslim youth. After striking up a friendship with them, he would show them CDs of atrocities on Muslims across the world, telling them to adopt ‘tit for tat’ methods.

According to sources, a few young Muslims responded positively to Liyakatali. It is said that he provoked the youth to take revenge for the post-Godhra riots in Gujarat. He also took part in the protest rally against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi at Rani Channamma Circle on October 30, 2007. He had covered his face to shield his identity. The video clippings, which are in police possession, have confirmed Liyakatali’s participation in the agitation. He was seen shouting slogans to hang Modi, according to sources.

Sources said that Liyakatali identified a few images when the police showed him the video clippings.

16 May 2008, Terror suspect held in Belgaum

BELGAUM: Close on the heels of the Jaipur outrage, the police have arrested a man with “objectionable material” including clippings on terrorism. “He was taken into custody from his house in Mahantesh Nagar on Wednesday evening on suspicion that he intended to carry out criminal acts,” a police official said on Thursday.

The terror suspect has been identified as Liyaqatali Abdulgani Sayeed (32). He was arrested from his house at Mahantesh Nagar, on the outskirts of Belgaum, on a tip-off. He is being interrogated over his suspected terror links and recent terrorist attacks.

Liyaqatali, a native of Belgaum city, was in London for 10 years. He returned home a month ago. He was produced in a court, which remanded to a week’s police custody. A computer expert, Liqayatali is the son of a retired PWD engineer.

The police recovered from Liyaqatali video footage of terrorist activities, Babri Masjid demolition, Godhra carnage and the violence in Gujarat in its aftermath, the Hubli Idgah Maidan controversary and violence in Hubli-Dharwad. They also recovered four mobile phones and SIM cards.

The arrested man’s laptop has information on making bombs, improvised explosive devices and rifles. Investigators are trying to ascertain if he has links with terrorist organizations and was involved in recent bomb attacks across the country.

Police superintendent Hemant Nimbalkar said Liyaqatali worked in London for 10 years and returned to India on March 18 after suffering losses in the security agency he was working for. His wife and two children, all British nationals, are staying in London.

Police sources said another suspect, Imtiyaz, owner of a pan shop in Mahantesh Nagar, is being interrogated.

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