A blast in an autorickshaw on the outskirts of Mangaluru on November 19, 2022, has been traced back to a broader terror conspiracy. The man allegedly carrying the explosives, Mohammed Shariq, was injured in the incident and later named the prime accused.
According to federal investigators, the bomb was intended to be planted at the Dharmasthala Manjunatha Swamy Temple. However, the device detonated prematurely due to the timer being set for 9 seconds instead of 90 minutes.
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) registered a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) in November 2022, following a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA). On August 5, the ED provisionally attached ₹29,176 from the bank account of another accused, Syed Yasin.
The NIA’s chargesheet revealed that the explosion was part of an ISIS-backed plan aimed at spreading terror and waging war against the Indian government. The accused received training via encrypted apps like Wickr and Telegram from an online ISIS handler named ‘Colonel’, who also facilitated fund transfers through cryptocurrencies and illegal accounts.
The ED disclosed that ₹2.86 lakh was deposited by crypto dealers into mule accounts, with ₹41,680 withdrawn in cash. These funds were used for assembling the IED, purchasing equipment online, securing hideouts, and conducting surveillance across Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.
Maaz Munir, another accused, reportedly helped Shariq access the mule accounts via FINO Payments Bank, enabling the ISIS handler’s payments to be received.