The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has announced the attachment of a residence in Uttar Pradesh linked to an active Al-Qaeda member who had been using the property to prepare for potential terror attacks. According to NIA, the accused, Minhaj Ahmed, utilized the property located at house no. 602/400, Adnanpalli, Ring Road, Dubagga, UP, for various illicit activities associated with terrorism, including the assembly of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and petrol bombs for potential terrorist acts within the state.
Minhaj Ahmed, along with another suspect named Maseerudeen, was apprehended at the same house on July 11, 2021.
The property has been attached under Section 25 of the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and is registered in the name of Minhaj’s father, Siraj Ahmad, as well as his mother and brother.
NIA’s statement also revealed Minhaj’s close association with Adil Nabi Teli, also known as Musa, a terrorist linked to The Resistance Front, an affiliate of the banned terrorist organization Lashkar-e-Taiba, who was killed in an encounter with security forces on March 16, 2022. NIA investigations into radicalization and recruitment for AQIS (Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent) uncovered Minhaj’s financial support to co-conspirators for violent jihadist activities in Kashmir.
The accused had procured raw materials and components to create an IED within a pressure cooker, which was discovered at the attached property on Monday. NIA’s investigation revealed that Minhaj had also fabricated a sample IED using a small quantity of materials and conducted a controlled explosion test on the roof of the house.
Furthermore, NIA uncovered that Minhaj had recorded a video of the IED’s fabrication and its controlled explosion, which he sent to Musa. He had also prepared a petrol bomb and shared a video of its creation with Musa. Additionally, Minhaj Ahmed had acquired a pistol and live ammunition, concealing them in his room on the first floor of the house.
