Three youths from the district who are believed to have joined the Islamic State (IS) and left the country to undergo training in Syria were arrested by the police here on Wednesday after four months of police surveillance.
The youths were arrested by the Valapattanam police after they were questioned by police officers led by Kannur Deputy Superintendent of Police P.P. Sadanandan at the police station. The arrested have been identified as Midilaj K.C. (26), Rashid M.P. (23), both natives of Munderi under the Chakkarakkal police station lmits, and Abdul Razakh K. (24) of Chekkikkulam under the Mayyil police station limits.
They had been under surveillance after they returned to the country from Turkey four months ago.
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The police said they had gone to Turkey and stayed there for three to four months and had been captured by the Turkish authorities while trying to cross the border to Syria. The Valapattanam police registered a case against the three on charges of joining a banned terrorist organisation under Sections 38 and 39 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Hinting that more arrests would be made in the coming days, Mr. Sadanandan said those who had gone to Syria and Afghanistan to join the IS saw themselves as participants in ‘hijra’ (migration) and members of Islamic fighters for ‘ghazwe hind’ (conquest of India).
Three months ago, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had arrested another IS operative from Kannur, identified as Shajahan Valluva Kandy of Koodali, at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, on his deportation by the Turkish authorities. He had also been captured on the Turkey-Syria border on his way to carry out alleged terrorist activities.
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Meanwhile NIA sources said in Kochi that the agency would take over the case, as the arrested were wanted in connection with a case in New Delhi.