IS man held was raising a sleeper cell in India

[Bravo Lion]

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NEW DELHI: Islamic State "operative" Subahani Haja Moideen's account that he was allowed to leave IS-held territory due to a knee injury that ruled him out of active fighting is likely to be closely scrutinised by the National Investigation Agency that is looking at the possibility of his being tasked with setting up a "sleeper cell".

The NIA is considering the "sleeper cell" theory as Moideen had lain dormant for a year since his return and was detected only when he began to plan attacks on RSS members and some judges of the Kochi high court. While not outright rejecting the injury account, NIA investigators are looking to examine his links and plans thoroughly .

The 31-year-old Kerala native, who was in touch with an IS handler based in Sweden, was arrested by NIA earlier this month after he had formed a Kerala module. He told interrogators earlier that he received a knee injury in Mosul, after which he desired to return to India. He was allowed to do so but only after IS leaders held him for 40 days before he finally made his way back via Turkey, Moideen claimed.

Moideen is of considerable interest to the NIA as he is believed to have seen IS operations and some of its leaders up close as seems to be the case by his account of Mosul which is at the centre of fighting between the IS and Iraqi forces. NIA investigators are examining if the "battle hardened" recruit, trained for almost two-three months in combat and use of automated weapons like the AK-47 and grenade launchers, was "deliberately" sent back to lie low until "activated".

Modieen has been brought to Delhi for further interrogation. IS has planted "sleeper cells" in Europe, UK and other countries as its leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi felt that the organisation is losing a large number of fighters at its home ground and it might be useful to send foreign fighters back to their native countries for acts of terror there.


Abdelhamid Abaaoud, mastermind of Paris attacks last year, is an example of how IS "activated" its sleeper to unleash its terror. The members of IS sleeper cells in Paris attacks went undetected for months in Brussels before they killed 130 people.

The NIA is trying to ascertain where he travelled in last one year within India and how was he arranging the funds for his plans.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/...ising-a-sleeper-cell/articleshow/54947565.cms