NIA Expands Crackdown on Online Extremist Network, Raids 20 Locations

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday conducted coordinated searches at 20 locations across 10 states and the Union Territory of Delhi as part of an ongoing investigation into an alleged online terror radicalisation network linked to banned extremist organisations.

According to the agency, the case involves a conspiracy to promote the ideology of ISIS (Islamic State) and AQIS (Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent) with the alleged objective of establishing an Islamic state in India through violent jihad against the country's democratically elected government.

The raids were carried out in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Bihar, Rajasthan, Gujarat and Delhi . Investigators seized several digital devices , which will undergo forensic examination to gather further evidence.

The NIA said 11 accused and one juvenile have been arrested so far. The agency took over the case from the Vijayawada Police in May 2026 , after it was initially registered in March following a search at the residence of key accused Rehmatullah Sharif Mohammad . During that operation, police allegedly recovered material linked to the banned terror outfits.

The latest searches were conducted based on technical analysis of previously seized digital devices , connectivity mapping of the arrested accused and other findings uncovered during the investigation.

According to the NIA, the accused and their associates were allegedly engaged in radicalising vulnerable youth through online extremist content and misinformation . The agency further claimed that they were in contact with foreign handlers to spread jihadi ideology and advance the alleged conspiracy to destabilise the country and establish a "Caliphate."

The investigation is ongoing, with the NIA working to identify and trace other individuals allegedly connected to the network.