Extortion kingpin held, quizzed for terror link

CHENNAI: A 45-year-old man, the alleged mastermind of a gang who posed as National Investigation Agency (NIA) officers to extort Rs two crore from a city businessman, was finally nabbed at Chennai airport after being on the run for nearly three years.

Sources said the accused, Thoufeeq, who was identified and detained when he came to city from Colombo, is now being interrogated by State and central agencies for alleged links with certain suspected terror outfits.

According to sources, Thoufeeq was close associate of Abu Hamsa of Hyderabad, who was the main person behind Muslim Defence Force. Thoufeeq also runs a party named Naam Manithar Katchi and an organisation called Iraivan Oruvane, sources added.

Around midnight on August 17, 2020, as Diwan Akbar of Seven Wells, who runs a screen printing firm on Portuguese Church Road, was returning home from a friend’s place in Broadway, four persons on a car intercepted him. They identified themselves as officers from the premier investigative agency and forced Akbar to accompany them for an inquiry.

After bundling him in their vehicle, the ‘NIA team’ took him towards Triplicane. When they were on Bells Road, another person got inside the car. From there, they went towards East Coast Road. Soon, Akbar was blindfolded and was taken to a room where he was confined.

There, Thoufeeq and his associates allegedly threatened and assaulted Akbar to admit that he was involved in several crimes, including trafficking of narcotics. They videographed his ‘confession’ and allegedly told him that they have been directed to kill him and stage it as an encounter. After intimidating him with these tactics, the gang said they were willing to let him go, but only if he paid them handsomely. The ransom amount was fixed at Rs 3 crore.

They then allowed Akbar to speak to his family over photo to make arrangement to raise and pay up the ransom. His brother, Thamimun Ansari, managed to organise Rs two crore by the next day, August 18.

After collecting the money near a theatre in Egmore, the kidnappers took Akbar’s passport, debit cards and house keys as collateral for the remaining Rs one crore. About two hours later, he was dropped off at Parry’s Corner. He was given two days to pay up the remaining amount.

Based on his complaint, the Muthialpet police registered a case. The officials had arrested some persons soon after the incident, but Thoufeeq, the alleged mastermind of the impersonation and extortion racket, remained untraceable till now. He finally landed in police net when he was detained at the airport while travelling from Colombo to Chennai, sources said.

BlurbAkbar was forced to admit that he was involved in crimes, including dug trafficking, and was told they had orders to kill him and stage it as an encounter