NIA arrests two Anantapur residents for suspected links to Pakistan-based terror groups

Anantapur: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested two residents from Anantapur district on suspicion of maintaining links with Pakistan-based terror outfits.

The arrested persons have been identified as Kothwal Noor Mohammed (40), a native of Dharmavaram town in Sri Sathya Sai district, and a 35-year-old woman from Tadipatri in Anantapur district.

Contact with a woman come under investigation

Officials revealed that Noor had been in contact with the woman, and the nature of their communication was found to be suspicious.

Deputy Superintendent of Police in charge, U Narsingappa, confirmed that during the operation, two SIM cards were recovered from Noor. He added that further investigations are being conducted to assess the depth of his involvement with these terror networks.

Contact through social media

Preliminary inquiries established that Noor, who was employed as a cook at a hotel in Anantapur, had been in regular communication with suspected terror operatives in Pakistan through social media channels. His interactions with the Tadipatri woman have also raised suspicion among the investigators.

According to Dharmavaram SP Ratna, Noor had been participating in banned Pakistan-based WhatsApp groups and was allegedly passing on sensitive information to local youth at the mosque. It has also been alleged that Noor was preparing himself to undergo training with a terrorist organisation.