Rajasthan ATS grills IS operative from Tamil Nadu

“The investigators have information that more people are involved with IS from Tamil Nadu. So they have brought him down to Chennai for further investigation. He was interrogated at Kotturpuram police station,” a state police official said. 

Earlier the Rajasthan ATS had tipped off Tiruvallur district police and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence resulting in the arrest of Iqbal. The accused was later taken to Rajasthan after producing a PT warrant. 

On Tuesday, the Rajasthan ATS had come down to Chennai, for the second time after taking custody of Iqbal, to further investigate his connections here in Tamil Nadu.

Rajasthan ATS had earlier arrested a key IS operative Jameel Mohammed from the state’s border. On questioning him, they discovered his links with Mohammed Iqbal. Rajasthan ATS along with the Intelligence Bureau conducted a manhunt and later tracked him down to Chennai. The ATS team received intelligence inputs regarding his gold smuggling activities and passed the information to the DRI. With the help of the Tiruvallur district police, they managed to nab four youth who were travelling in an Omni bus from Rajamundri to Chennai. 

The police team arrested Mohammed Iqbal and four others at Arambakkam near Gummidipoondi on February 6 and remanded them to Puzhal prison. 

During interrogation, it was found that Mohammed Iqbal, who had travelled to many countries has been actively involved with the IS. However, he managed to cover up most of the activities and told the investigators that he had travelled to these countries to train in football. 

Later, he admitted to have donated money to IS thrice. “They had demanded money saying that it is for helping poor children and I paid them. But I later realised it was an offence,” Mohammed Iqbal reportedly told the investigators.