NIA raids house in Hazaribagh over suspected terror links
RANCHI: Amid the investigation into the explosion near Red Fort in Delhi, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday raided the residence of a suspected terrorist, Shahnawaz Alam. The raids were conducted by a joint team of NIA and Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), in Ansar Nagar, under the Pelawal police station area in Hazaribagh. According to sources, this action was taken based on information provided by a doctor who was previously arrested by the NIA. This operation is being conducted as part of an investigation into the network linked to suspected terrorist Shahnawaz Alam , who was arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell in October 2023. The team is reportedly questioning people inside the house. Besides NIA and ATS, additional police forces have been deployed in the area. Officials refrained from sharing any information, looking at the sensitive nature of the operation. Meanwhile, the NIA team has recovered a printing machine from the house. The NIA believes that some kind of documents, posters or objectionable material were being printed there. Shahnawaz Alam, originally hailing from Hazaribagh, was arrested by the Delhi Police Special Cell in October 2023. Investigators suspect that his network may have tentacles in Jharkhand, making Thursdays raid strategically significant. Investigators are also revisiting the background of Shahnawaz, who had earlier been jailed in 2019 for robbery and theft. After securing bail in December 2020, he allegedly came into contact with ISIS handlers, eventually becoming a crucial figure in the Pune module case. Officials suspect that individuals associated with Shahnawaz may still be active in Jharkhand. Reportedly, Shahnawaz Alam alias Safiuzzama had received terrorist training in the forests of Pune. Based on fresh intelligence received in this case, the NIA team has raided his residences in Hazaribagh.
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