Guwahati, September 29: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday carried out coordinated searches at 16 locations spanning Assam, West Bengal and Kerala as part of an ongoing investigation into a cross-border terror conspiracy and radicalisation activities linked to Imam Mahmuder Kafila (IMK), described by officials as an offshoot of the banned Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).
Of the premises searched, ten were in Assam, five in West Bengal and one in Kerala. Investigators are examining alleged efforts by the IMK network to spread extremist ideology, organise clandestine meetings, distribute literature and use digital platforms for propaganda within India, with a particular focus on Assam.
In a related development, NIA teams detained Mustafizur Rahman from his residence in Azad Nagar, Barpeta Road, Assam, and conducted a search of the premises in connection with the same probe into suspected jihadi activities.
Officials said the operation forms part of a broader case registered earlier this year involving the activities of IMK, which investigators believe was established to expand the influence of the banned JMB across the border. Charges under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act have previously been filed against multiple individuals in the matter before a special NIA court in Guwahati.
Assam, sharing a long and porous international border with Bangladesh, has long been a focus of counter-terror agencies monitoring cross-border infiltration and radicalisation attempts. The latest searches are aimed at collecting further evidence on the network’s operational structure, funding channels and links to individuals across the region.
Further details on materials recovered during the raids and any additional detentions were awaited as the operation continued through the day.