NIA CRACKS DOWN ON SUSPECTED JMB NETWORK, 13 ARRESTED ACROSS THREE STATES

September 29, 2026

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested 13 people in a multi-state operation targeting an alleged terror conspiracy linked to Imam Mahmuder Kafila (IMK), described by the agency as an offshoot of the banned Jama’atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).

The arrests followed searches at 16 locations across Assam, West Bengal and Kerala. Eight of those arrested were taken into custody in Assam, four in West Bengal and one in Kerala. Investigators also seized digital devices, including mobile phones, pen drives and memory cards, during the searches.

The case originated with an investigation launched after Assam Police arrested 11 people in December 2025 in connection with an alleged online radicalisation network. The NIA subsequently took over the investigation and filed a chargesheet against those 11 accused before a special court in Guwahati in June 2026.

According to the NIA, its investigation alleges that the IMK network sought to expand its presence in West Bengal and northeastern India by radicalising vulnerable young people and establishing an organisational network. Investigators have alleged the use of clandestine meetings, indoctrination programmes, extremist literature and digital platforms as part of these activities.

The agency has also identified alleged links involving Assam and Tripura and said that documents, electronic devices and digital records recovered during the investigation form part of the evidence being examined.

Ten other accused in the wider case are reported to remain absconding, including one Indian national and nine Bangladeshi nationals. The latest arrests and searches are part of the continuing investigation into the alleged network, its members and its cross-border connections.