Engineer refutes NIA claim that he is ‘missing’

Nowfal Ibrahim from Sakleshpur, whom media reports quoting National Investigation Agency (NIA) sources claimed to be the ‘missing’ associate of the arrested alleged IS sympathiser Mohammed Andul Ahad, has said that he has been in constant touch with his family. He also claimed to be working in a supermarket at Hafar Al Batin in Saudi Arabia.

Speaking to The Hindu over phone, Ibrahim said he had left for Dammam in Saudi Arabia from Mangaluru airport on November 12, 2015. “I have not gone missing. I have been working as a cashier in a supermarket owned by my relative,” he said.

The NIA, which recently arrested seven people on allegations of terror links, has been on the look out for Ibrahim. He was part of a nine-member group, led by Ahad, which was deported by Turkish authorities last year while allegedly attempting to cross the Syrian border.

Reiterating that he has not gone ‘missing’, Ibrahim said he was in possession of valid documents to prove his whereabouts. “My family members are disturbed by the reports in the media. I have a passport, visa, and the identity card to prove that I have been working here,” he said.

Ibrahim claimed that he had gone to Turkey in January 2015 on a tourist visa along with his friends. They were detained on the grounds that they were trying to enter Syria and were deported to India. “We had no plans to enter Syria and we had return tickets with us. However, we could not convince the authorities there because of language problems. We were deported to India. The police officials in Bengaluru released us after questioning as our documents were clear,” he said.

His father Ibrahim Muhammed said: “He stayed with us till November. My wife’s relatives have a supermarket in Saudi Arabia. They offered him a job and he left in November.” The father and son shared copies of the air ticket, identity card and passport with this reporter. Mr. Muhammed met the local police soon after it was reported in media that his son had gone missing and shared the documents related to his travel. “None of my family members has ever been involved in any criminal activity. There is no need for my son to go missing. He has been in touch with us regularly,” he said.

The local police said they had no instruction from the NIA or the State police to keep track of Ibrahim.

He was part of a nine-member group,

led by arrested alleged IS-sympathiser Mohammed Andul Ahad, that was deported by Turkish authorities last

year while attempting to enter Syria