Kannur: Three Keralites, formerly associated with Popular Front of India (PFI) were arrested on Wednesday over suspicions of alleged links to terror group ISIS.
The trio, Mithilaj KC (26), Abdul Razak KV (24) and Rasheed MV (27) hailing from Kannur in the city had been deported to country having failed in their attempt to cross over to Syria to join the terror goup around four months back and had ever since been on the radar of the police.
While tracking their online activities, it was observed that the trio remained active on sites with links to ISIS and were undergoing training.
Speaking to media persons Kannur district’s senior police officer PP Sadanandan stated they were trying to get further details on how the men were recruited, the indoctrination methods and their funding. Few more men, part of the same group, were also being probed, he mentioned.
They have been charged under the anti-terror law, Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, which outlaws people from associating and supporting a terrorist organization. If convicted, they could be jailed for a maximum of 10 years.
Nearly 100 Indians most of whom hail from Kerala are said to have left the country having been influenced by the ideology of the terror group. Concerns have been raised in Kerala that an extreme form of Islam was taking root here.
The National Investigation Agency has been probing cases of disappearance of at least 21 people are suspected to have joined the ISIS. Among them, 17 were from Kasaragod and four from Palakkad. They include four women and three children.
