New Delhi, 31 Aug

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a key accused involved in an international conspiracy to radicalise youngsters and establish an Islamic caliphate in India, an official statement said on Saturday.

It said Aziz Ahamed alias Aziz Ahmed alias Jaleel Aziz Ahmed was nabbed on Friday at the Bengaluru international airport while trying to flee abroad.

According to the NIA statement, the arrest was made in a case registered by the agency against six people influenced by the extremist, radical and fundamental ideology of the Hizb-ut-Tahrir -- an international pan-Islamist and fundamentalist organisation fighting to establish an Islamic caliphate and enforce the constitution written by its founder Taqi al-Din al-Nabhani.

As per the NIA investigation, the accused had "conducted secret Bayaans, where many participants, particularly gullible youth, were radicalised with ideologies of Hizb-ut-Tahrir, which seeks military assistance (Nusra) from forces inimical to India to achieve its nefarious goal".

Aziz Ahamed was found to be one of the chief initiators in conducting secret 'Bayaans', the NIA said.