The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) arrested five more accused from Patan district in connection with its ongoing investigation into an alleged terror module linked to the Pakistan-based terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM).
The arrested accused are - Bilal Abid Shera, Mohammed Aiyub Kadiwal aka Mohammed Khadiyasan, Mohammed Shafi Mukhi aka Shafi Chapi, Mohammed Hasan Karadiya aka Hasan Haidarpuri and Mohammed Aiyub Sunasara aka Mohammed Khali, ANI reported.
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The arrests are a part of the ongoing investigation that began earlier this month, when the Gujarat ATS arrested eight alleged JEM associates in coordinated raids across Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.
ANI reported that the five newly arrested accused are allegedly associated with the same JEM-linked network that is under investigation by the Gujarat ATS, which makes the total number of people held in the case to 13.
The ATS is probing the extent of the alleged terror module, including its recruitment activities, communication channels and possible links with handlers based in Pakistan, according to investigators, The Times of India reported.
Investigators further alleged that the accused translated JeMs propaganda material into Gujarati and circulated extremist content in an effort to radicalise and recruit members into the organisation.
During the earlier phase of the investigation, the ATS seized digital devices, radical literature and other materials that officials said could help establish the functioning and reach of the alleged terror module, The New Indian Express reported.
The five newly accused are being questioned to ascertain their specific roles in the network, identify their local contacts and examine any links with handlers based across the border, as per reports.
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