Chennai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has said its probe has found that funds collected in the name of Arabic colleges in Chennai and Coimbatore were allegedly used to spread extremist ideas among youth.
The case is linked to the October 23, 2022 car bomb blast near the Sangameswarar temple at Kottamedu in Coimbatore, in which suicide bomber Jameesha Mubeen died. While the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is investigating the terror incident, the ED is probing suspected illegal money transactions connected to it.
According to the ED, Jameesha Mubeen had pledged allegiance to the Islamic State (IS) before his death. The agency also said the attack was allegedly planned by Mubeen and his associates as retaliation for the arrest of Mohammed Azharudeen, who was accused of spreading extremist propaganda. The ED noted that 12 accused in the case were students of Jameel Basha, described as the founder of the Coimbatore Arabic college.
As part of its investigation into how funds were raised for the attack, the ED conducted searches on July 30 at 15 locations across Chennai, Coimbatore, Mumbai and Hyderabad. The agency said it uncovered an additional fraud: between August 2021 and June 2022, the accused allegedly created and sold fake COVID-19 vaccination certificates, collecting money from unvaccinated people in parts of Tamil Nadu and in Mumbai.
The ED said proceeds from this alleged scam were used to purchase materials for the blast and to run the Coimbatore Arabic college. It also alleged that Jameel Basha raised money from former students, investors and others as donations and business investments for the Chennai and Coimbatore Arabic colleges, and that the funds were used to conduct online and in-person classes under the cover of Arabic language education with the intent of indoctrinating youth. During the searches, digital devices and key documents related to money transfers and property investments were seized, and further investigation is under way into other suspects and possible foreign links.
