Kochi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) which interrogated the five persons from Kannur, who were arrested for attempting to migrate to Syria to join the Islamic State (IS), has received crucial information about the IS network operational in Kannur. 

According to an NIA officer, the group was indoctrinated by Hamsa U K, of Thalassery. “This was the third time the accused persons were interrogated by the NIA sleuths. This group is different from another module which was busted from Kanakamala in Kannur in 2016.

However, some of the accused persons in that case knew Hamsa. We have received crucial information about more people who have links with the group. We have also got the details of the persons who were planning to join the IS in Syria,” said the officer.

The accused Midhilaj, 26, of Baithul Farsana, Valapattanam, Kannur; Abdul Rasak K V, 34, of ‘Pandara Valappil’, Valapattanam; Rashid M V, 24, of M V House, Valapattanam; Manaf Rahman, 42, of Zainas, Thalassery; and Hamsa U K, 57, of Thoufeek, Thalassery, were produced before the NIA Court in Kochi on Friday. The court had sent them in NIA custody from January 16 to 18. They were later remanded to judicial custody till January 30.

The case was originally registered by the Kerala Police at the Valapattanam police station in Kannur in October last year. The NIA had taken over the probe from the police in December.

According to NIA officers, the accused persons are members of the proscribed terrorist organisation IS/Daesh and had travelled abroad to join the IS in Syria and fight on its behalf. Some of the accused went to Turkey and stayed there for three to four months before they were captured by Turkish authorities while trying to cross the border to Syria.