A single phone call helped intelligence agencies arrest ten key activists of the outlawed Students Islamic Movement of India in Indore recently. The arrest is considered one of the biggest breakthroughs against the outfit which is growing in strength in India.
Adnan, an engineering graduate from Bijapur in northern Karnataka, made the costly mistake which helped the police track down the ten SIMI activists. Adnan was on the run ever since some of his accomplices were arrested in Karnataka last November.
Riazudin Nasir, a.k.a Mohammad Ghouse, one of the men arrested stated during interrogation that Adnan was the key person in Karnataka and was in charge of recruiting young graduates into SIMI. He also revealed that Adnan was part of the camp which had met at Hubli, Karnataka and assembled bombs. While Nasir did not give any details of Adnan's whereabouts he however claimed that Adnan had weapons and bombs.
Intelligence bureau officials told rediff.com that immediately after Nasir's arrest, Adnan went to Bangalore and met Yahya Kamakutty, a software engineer. Kamakutty, originally from Kerala had settled in Bangalore, was involved in recruiting software professionals into SIMI. He had planned to set up a cyber cell for the outfit.
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On meeting Adnan, Kamakutty advised him to move to Kerala and directed him to remain in hiding till things calmed down. From there Adnan and Kamakutty were to leave for Indore where they were to meet up with the rest of the activists. A major meeting of the SIMI was planned at Indore.
In early December, Adnan reached Kerala and remained underground for a couple of weeks. In the meantime, the police managed to pick up Kamakutty in Bangalore. During the interrogation, Kamakutty divulged details regarding Adnan. The police, however, did not pick up Adnan immediately but kept a close watch on him. Adnan then made the crucial mistake. He made a phone call to his brother in Karnataka and this call was tapped by the police.
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IB sources said Adnan mentioned that he would be leaving for Ujjain where he would to pick up a consignment of arms which was coming in from Pakistan. From Ujjain he was to leave for Indore where he would be meeting with the rest of the members which included SIMI chief Safdar Nagori.
The Karnataka police kept a close tab on his movements and informed their counterparts in Madhya Pradesh. However, Adnan's plans were changed at the last minute and he skipped Ujjain and headed straight to Indore.
Once Adnan met other members of SIMI, the police moved in and nabbed them.
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IB sources say keeping a track on Adnan helped bust the SIMI network. They also said Kamakutty gave them plenty of information regarding Adnan and his movements. The sources SIMI activists were planning to discuss where to undertake terror attacks at the Indore meeting.