The National Investigation Agency has raided 10 locations in Hyderabad yesterday after which 5 people were arrested.
Is the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq getting monitory support from sympathisers in India? This is an angle that National Investigative Agency, which arrested five men from Hyderabad on Wednesday, will be looking at keenly. Investigations have revealed the cell had sent around Rs 5 lakh to Dubai recently.
The money was sent a few weeks ago through proper banking channels, the officer said. Officers of the NIA will soon visit Dubai to identify the beneficiary.
"We are examining two issues -- the source of the money and the reason for remitting the money," a senior officer told NDTV.
"Generally money is sent to India to procure explosives and weapons, rarely is money sent out," said an officer associated with the investigations. Sources said they are also looking at the possibility of the suspected cell sending money to help Indian recruits who are in Syria.
"This is also a possibility which cannot be ruled out," the officer said. According to security agencies, however, only a dozen Indians have managed to reach Syria and Iraq.
Surveillance on the suspected cell, meanwhile, has thrown-up a maze of codes that were being used to pass messages. Some of the codes used, officials say, indicate that the module was close to carrying out the strike.
In one intercepted communication, one of the suspects is heard telling the groups, "time has come to carry out the task". Sources said the cell was using multiple encrypted platforms to communicate among themselves and with their handler based in Syria.
What has particularly got the attention of the investigators is a coded communication which appears to allude to the successful assembly of an Improvised Explosive Device.
Initial investigations show the group was using the Internet for information on making IEDs. A large quantity of high grade nitrate-based explosives was recovered during Wednesday's search and seizure.