New Delhi: The cyber unit of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has stepped up surveillance of anti-India activities on social media and is keeping a close watch on suspects. The NIA has received information that jihadist organisations may try to spread terror at various places across the country during the festivals. In fact, the central probe agency had received these inputs after questioning a migrant labourer from Bihar, who was arrested by the NIA from Tamil Nadu in April.
“A senior official told ETV India on Saturday, “”We have received information that terrorist organisations are inciting violence through various social media handles.”””
Citing intelligence reports, the official said an alert has been issued across the country as forces that are harmful to India’s security may try to spread terror during the festive season. “””An alert has been issued across the country,”” the official added.” All state police forces have been asked to maintain maximum vigilance.
The National Investigation Agency had arrested Akhlatur alias Mohammad Akhlaq Mujahid from Chengalpattu in Tamil Nadu in April this year. According to the NIA investigation, Akhlatur, a resident of Katihar district in Bihar, was involved in anti-national activities.
“””He was in touch with Lashkar-e-Taiba masters in Pakistan through cyber space and was conspiring with them to target people of other religions,”” the NIA said.” Akhlatur had also tried to approach arms and arms dealers with the intention of buying weapons to carry out the attack to destabilize the country.
Several Pakistan-based terrorist organisations, including Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed (JEM) and others, are using social media platforms to influence naive youths across the country. “””Cyber security units of various states have also been issued an alert so that they too can monitor anti-India activities,”” the official said.”
Security expert’s statement
Speaking to ETV India, security expert Brigadier BK Khanna said that terrorist organisations will surely try to influence naive youths to get involved in terrorist activities. “””Since it has become impossible for terrorist organisations to send their people from across the border to influence the youth in India, they are now resorting to social media platforms to influence the youth and involve them in terrorist activities,”” Khanna said.”
He said that after the major setback during Operation Sindoor, the terrorist organisation is desperate to register its presence in India. “Realizing this trend, security agencies in India have also prepared themselves to deal with any kind of crisis, even through social media,”” Khanna said.”
The National Centre for Terrorism Data Fusion and Analysis (NTDFAC) has been established to enable big data analysis and facilitate the automatic operation and digitization of various investigation processes, procedures and digitization to strengthen surveillance and enhance efficiency, stability and accountability.
Under this programme, the National Investigation Agency is training cyber officers from other central security agencies to make them aware of the use of a central database to detect terrorist members by face recognition.
