Photo Courtesy: nenow
Guwahati: National Investigation Agency teams hit 16 locations across Assam, West Bengal, and Kerala on Tuesday. The sweeping operation targeted an alleged cross-border terror conspiracy. Investigators traced the plot to a radicalization case involving the Imam Mahmuder Kafila network, an offshoot of the banned Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh.
Federal agents searched ten spots in Assam, five in West Bengal, and one in Kerala. They are hunting for evidence of radicalization and connections to illegal activity spanning the international border. Officials have yet to release a full list of seized materials or those detained for questioning.
In the Barpeta district, NIA agents targeted the residence of Mustafizur Rahman in Azad Nagar. They seized his mobile phone during the Tuesday raid. This marks the second time Rahman has faced law enforcement pressure this year. Assam Police Special Task Force officers originally arrested him on March 14 for alleged jihadi ties. He spent months in Guwahati Central Jail before his release on bail just two months ago.
Rahman runs a clothing shop across from the Barpeta Road Jama Masjid. Family members watched as the NIA team scoured his home. One official noted, "The operation is linked to a radicalisation case in Assam involving Imam Mahmuder Kafila." The NIA is continuing its probe into the network and its reach.
Updated at 29th September 2026 at 6:00pm
The NIA operation expanded significantly beyond the initial search at Rahman's residence. Federal agents hauled in six suspects from across Barpeta district following raids that kicked off late Monday night. Authorities hit locations under the jurisdiction of the Howly, Barpeta Road, and Sorbhog police stations.
Alongside Rahman, investigators arrested Faruk Abdullah, Zakir Hussain, and Chandbar Ali from Sorbhog. The dragnet also nabbed Yakub Ali from Nishuka and Rakibul Islam from Jashihatipara village in Howly. Officials claim these men were actively radicalizing youth in the region, though the charges have yet to be tested in court.
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