DIGITAL TRAILS UNDER TERROR SCANNER: NIA ARRESTS ANOTHER SUSPECT IN ALLEGED JMB-OFFSHOOT CONSPIRACY
October 11, 2026
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested another accused in West Bengal in connection with an alleged terrorist conspiracy involving Imam Mahmuder Kafila (IMK), an offshoot of the banned Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). Investigators also seized several digital devices, including mobile phones and memory cards, as the agency expanded its probe into the organisation’s alleged efforts to establish and strengthen its network in eastern and northeastern India.
The latest arrest took place on Saturday, October 10, the NIA said in a statement issued on Sunday. The agency did not disclose the identity of the accused or specify the location of the arrest, nor did it provide details about the digital material recovered from the individual.
The development follows a coordinated operation on September 29, when the NIA arrested 13 accused after conducting searches at 16 locations across Assam, West Bengal and Kerala. The investigation is examining an alleged conspiracy to spread extremist ideology, radicalise vulnerable young people and recruit individuals into the IMK network.
According to the agency, IMK was established by Imam Mahmud Habibullah, described by investigators as a senior member of JMB, with the objective of promoting the banned organisation’s agenda in India. The alleged conspiracy involved attempts to expand IMK/JMB activities across West Bengal and the northeastern states.
Investigators have alleged that members of the network used clandestine meetings, religious indoctrination programmes and the circulation of extremist literature to spread their ideology. The NIA has also identified the alleged misuse of digital platforms, including Telegram, for radicalisation and the dissemination of anti-India propaganda.
The agency said the accused had allegedly sought to strengthen organisational links within India and promote allegiance to the leadership of IMK/JMB. The seizure of mobile phones and memory cards in the latest arrest is expected to form part of the continuing examination of possible digital evidence, although the NIA has not publicly detailed its contents.
The investigation represents an ongoing effort to establish the extent of the alleged network, identify its members and determine how the group intended to expand its activities. The allegations against the accused remain subject to the legal process, and the agency has not yet disclosed further details about the latest arrest.
With another suspect now in custody, the NIA’s investigation into the alleged JMB-offshoot conspiracy has widened. The agency is continuing to examine the suspected recruitment network, the circulation of extremist material and the alleged use of online platforms to advance the organisation’s activities across eastern and northeastern India.
