NIA court in Mizoram sends two Bangladeshi terror operatives to five years in jail

AIZAWL: A special national investigation agency (NIA) court in Mizoram has convicted and sentenced two members of the banned Bangladeshi terror outfit, Ansar-al-Islam, for conspiring to carry out terrorist attacks in India.

The convicted individuals have been identified as Bangladeshi nationals Mahmud Hassan (also known as Shariful Hassan) and Mohamad Sayad Hussain (also known as Mohamad Sa'ad Hussain, Sohan Molla, and Shihab Hossain).

Both the Bangladeshi nationals were sentenced by the NIA special court in Aizawl – the capital of Mizoram.

Each has been sentenced to five years in prison and fined Rs 10,000, with an additional month of imprisonment in case of default on payment.

The court found them guilty under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), the Foreigners Act, and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

They illegally entered India and were living in various locations using forged Indian identity documents, including Aadhaar cards.

They were charged on January 23, 2020, following NIA's investigation, which began after the agency took over the case in September 2019.

The NIA investigation revealed that Hassan and Hussain had facilitated and supported a conspiracy by Ansar-al-Islam, which claims to be the Bangladesh wing of Al-Qaeda, to carry out terrorist activities in India.

The investigation uncovered their roles in the plot through analysis of digital documents, incriminating audio recordings, motivational speeches promoting jihad, and handwritten notes on bomb-making.

During the investigation, a total of 11 mobile phones and 16 SIM cards were seized from the two men.

Mahmud Hassan, drawn into the conspiracy by an individual named Abdul Wadud and guided by his handler Munir, had photographs of significant public and religious sites in Bengaluru on his mobile phone, indicating he had conducted reconnaissance of these locations.

Mohamad Sayad Hussain, on the other hand, frequently moved around as directed by his handler Bashir Ahmed.

He disguised his profession to hide his identity and evade detection by police and security personnel.