The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad had arrested the 4 males final month.

Colombo:

Overseas Minister Ali Sabry on Friday mentioned there is no such thing as a proof to again claims that the 4 Sri Lankans arrested in India final month are linked to ISIS.

The Gujarat Anti-Terrorism Squad had claimed that they arrested 4 Sri Lankans with hyperlinks to ISIS at Ahmedabad airport. The 4 males had boarded an Indigo flight from Colombo to Chennai on Might 19, they mentioned.

On Might 31, the Prison Investigation Division of Sri Lankan police had arrested one Pushparaja Osman, 46, in Colombo, who they’d known as the suspected handler of the 4 arrested in India.

Nonetheless, on Friday, Minister Sabry denied that any of the Sri Lankan nationals arrested in India had any hyperlink with the phobia organisation.

“There is no such thing as a proof to again claims that the 4 Sri Lankans arrested in India are linked to ISIS. The 4 (Sri Lankans) are believed to be linked to drug smuggling and never terrorism,” Mr Sabry informed a press convention right here.

After Osman’s arrest, commenting on the investigations up to now, police spokesman Nihal Thalduwa had mentioned that police had been unable to confirm that the 4 had been linked to ISIS.

“It’s but to be established that they had been selling ISIS ideology in Sri Lanka,” he had mentioned.

Final month, the Sri Lankan authorities launched a high-powered operation to research the 4 Sri Lankans arrested in Gujarat.

The authorities say they won’t take any possibilities with doable ISIS actions on the island after the 2019 Easter Sunday assault which killed over 270 individuals, together with 11 Indians.

Among the many arrested people in Gujarat, Mohammed Nusrat is a businessman concerned in importing telecommunication gadgets and electrical gear from nations reminiscent of Singapore, Malaysia, and Dubai.

Mohammad Nafran has been recognized because the son of the primary spouse of Niyas Naufer aka ‘Potta Naufer,’ the infamous underworld felony who was sentenced to demise for killing Excessive Courtroom Choose Sarath Ambepitiya.

Of the opposite two Sri Lankans arrested, Mohammad Faris had labored as a ‘Nattami’ or cart puller in Pettah and was arrested by the Colombo Crimes Division on March 11, 2023, and November 1 of the identical yr.

On Might 21, his shut affiliate Hameed Amir was arrested by the Terrorist Investigations Division. Mohammad Faris left for Chennai on Might 19.

The opposite suspect is Mohammad Rashdeen, a three-wheeler driver. Safety forces suspect that he’s linked to trafficking crystal meth or ICE.

On September 16, 2022, Rashdeen was arrested by the Foreshore Police and was later launched on bail.

(Apart from the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV workers and is printed from a syndicated feed.)