New Delhi, Dec 27 (IANS) The ongoing investigations by the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) into an Al-Qaeda case have revealed that servers and control centres in Afghanistan had been used extensively for spreading radical ideology.

These details cropped up during the interrogation of Zubair Hangargekar, who was arrested for his alleged links with Al-Qaeda. The probe found that he was highly radicalised by the ideology of Al-Qaeda.

The electronic devices seized from him revealed that he was using the ideology of the outfit with the larger plan of implementing the Sharia law in India and also establishing a Caliphate.

Al-Qaeda has been gradually building up massive infrastructure in Afghanistan, the probe found. Officials say that they have set up servers, cyber infrastructure, and appointed content distributors.

The material that Al-Qaeda operatives in India post is done through the infrastructure that the outfit has set up in Afghanistan. This is, in fact, helping the operatives reach a wider audience without being tracked. They are also able to operate across large jurisdictions owing to this technology, while staying out of the radar of the Indian agencies, an official also added.

While scanning through the electronic devices of Zubair Hangargekar, the ATS found a Pakistani contact. Numbers of contact persons from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Oman were also found on him. The ATS is currently ascertaining how he was linked to these persons and whether they had any role to play.

The ATS says that Hangargekar was in possession of jihadi literature and was attempting to radicalise the youth. He is also accused of being in touch with many members of the Al-Qaeda network.

Intelligence Bureau officials say that there has been a sustained effort by Al-Qaeda to expand operations in India. This was the primary intent why the outfit launched Al-Qaeda in the Sub-Continent (AQIS).

The outfit that is based out of Afghanistan has been looking to expand operations in India ever since its inception in 2014.

The ATS learnt that the accused was using eight IDs, which were registered in Afghanistan and Hong Kong. Four of them are from Afghanistan, while the remaining are from Hong Kong, the official pointed out.

The probe has found that Hong Kong was used for routing communication. This allows them to carry out activities discreetly, as Hong Kong is classified as a technical transit and masking zone.

Intelligence agencies have been flagging the sudden rise in propaganda material that Al-Qaeda has been circulating in recent years. The outfit may not have had much success in carrying out attacks in India, but its propaganda has been spreading like wildfire, which in turn has resulted in large-scale radicalisation.

The focus is currently just online, said an official. It is a matter of time before they get onto the field and attempt an attack, the official added.

In recent months, attempts to set up modules have been made in Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, parts of North India, Gujarat and Maharashtra. It has also been making calls for radicalised youth to carry out lone wolf strikes.

Officials say that the activities of Al-Qaeda are dangerous owing to the reach it has in India. In the northern parts of the country, it gains much more traction when compared to the south, where the Islamic State is a stronger force. Many view Osama Bin Laden as a hero, and this explains why the traction is much higher.

These developments come at a time when Bangladesh is on the boil. Al-Qaeda is a strong entity in that country, and the spillover into India cannot be ruled out, officials add. Hence, it is important to keep a very close watch on their activities to prevent anything untoward, the official also added.

--IANS

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