KOCHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has found that the International terrorist organization ISIS under the leadership of its Thrissur module chief Syed Nabeel Ahammed, who was arrested the other day, had planned to carry out terrorist attacks in Kerala and neighbouring states.

The NIA arrested Syed Nabeel Ahammed from a hideout in Chennai. He was produced in the special court in Ernakulam by around 8.30 pm on Wednesday and was remanded till September 12. Even though it was a holiday, the accused was remanded after holding a special sitting. Syed Nabeel Ahammed was nabbed while he was planning to go abroad through Nepal. According to NIA, those who arranged facilities for Syed to stay in hiding in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and those who created fake documents for him to go abroad are links of ISIS.

Pamphlets and social media messages promoting terrorism were found in the electronic gadgets seized from Syed. Syed's accomplice Thrissur Mathilakam native Asif was arrested last month from a hideout in Sathyamangalam forest. The various units of NIA had been carrying out extensive search operations to find Syed on the basis of Asif's statement that they had planned to rob ATMs and others to find money for terrorist activities. The Thrissur module of ISIS had planned to carry out explosions in selected centres, including in Kerala, kill some community leaders, and create communal riots. They even specially monitored certain places to see if their mission would succeed.