Chennai: Two young men from Tamil Nadu were under surveillance of Indian intelligence agencies after they were deported from Turkey while attempting to get in touch with the Islamic State in Syria a fortnight ago. Sources said that one of them, a 23-year-old B Com graduate, hails from Chennai, while the other is a 22-year-old school dropout from Karur. Officials, who repeatedly interviewed the men after their return, did not give away much on how the men got attracted to the terror group.
“They spent long hours on the internet to find out how to get to Syria to join IS,” an official said. Someone guided them online, and they took a flight from Bengaluru to Dubai in August, and from there to Turkey where they were picked up for suspicious movements a fortnight ago.
The men had told their families they were going to Bengaluru in search of a job. Ten days ago, they were sent back on a flight to Bengaluru since that was the city from where they boarded their first international flight. As soon as they landed there, central and state intelligence officials interviewed them at an undisclosed spot.
The Chennai man told police that he was inspired to join IS as he believed “they were going to rule the world.” Sources said the men were adamant till cops brought their families. “On seeing them, the men broke down,” said a TN intelligence officer.“We let them go with their families, but they will remain under close surveillance.”
The man from Karur was staying with his uncle in Chennai where he worked at a store. He befriended the B Com graduate, who was helping out his father at his Chennai textiles shop.. “The two used to discuss joblessness in India. The Chennai guy told him about prospects in Syria, where IS was ruling the roost. He wanted to join IS and take the other man along,” said a source.
