Another NTJ member arrested in Ampara

By Chaturanga Samarawickrama and Wasantha Chandrapala 

The National Intelligence Service yesterday arrested a member of Jamiyyathul Millathu Ibrahim (JMI) attached to the proscribed National Tawheed Jamaat (NTJ) who is alleged to have been militarily trained by Zahran at a camp in Nuwara Eliya, Police Spokesman Ruwan Gunasekera said. 

He said the active NTJ member arrested in Ampara was identified as Mohammad Rafaideen Mohammad Ali. His nom de guerre after training had been Abu Ikrimah. The suspect is a resident of Watadeniya in Welamboda, Gampola. 

“During the last two weeks, 16 JMI activists had been arrested in Ampara. Three of them have been detained under the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) while Mohamed Naufar Abdullah (16), who was arrested last Friday, is alleged to have maintained links with NTJ. He is currently in remand custody. The remaining twelve suspects are detained in the Ampara Police Station,” the spokesman said, adding that further investigations would be conducted by the Ampara Police and the TID. 

“The 16-year-old suspect is the son of NTJ second-in-command Naufer Moulavi who was a powerful leader. This reflects how activists of the said terrorist outfit behave in front of their children. They were in the habit of keeping their children at training camps,” he said.