IITians are helping Anti-Terror Squad break into chat rooms used by ISIS and stop brainwashed youth from leaving the country
Advertisement
It may sound a little weird to know that IIT students, otherwise known for their creativity and innovations, are helping Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad in cracking down on ISIS activities online.
In a great joint effort by IITians and ATS, almost 24 youngsters in Maharashtra, who were on the verge of falling intoISIS ' clutches, have been successfully pulled out and deradicalized by Islamic scholars.
All 24 youngsters were on the verge of leaving the country to join ISIS when they were identified.
The role of IITians in this operation involving 732 cops is to help the Squad make inroads into the chat rooms that the ISIS is using to target young Muslim youths.
Meanwhile, the ATS is using this information and leveraging the potential of its ground intelligence, technical support and centralized intelligence network to reach out to the affected youths.
ISIS is radicalising youths in just about 40 days through the internet. They are targeting cities like Mumbai, Pune and places like Nanded, Parbhani, Beed Malegaon, Dhule, Solapur.
Earlier SIMI and Indian Mujaheedin were mind-washing the youth in a similar way by showing them video clips and giving lectures online. It would, however, take them over 9 to 10 months to complete radicalise the youths and turn them into sleeper cells.
"Cracking the ISIS network is a very difficult task as it operates through the internet. They radicalize one person and that person will act as an agent for them and he will radicalize several others. We cannot stop the internet content flow. If we block something they start it with another medium or site on the internet," a top level officer from ATS revealed to India today.
Even as stopping ISIS activities online pose a big challenge in front of authorities, over 354 videos of ISIS on various websites have been blocked, as per a source. Maharashtra ATS has also blocked 14 websites in suspicion of illegal terror activities.
Advertisement
In a great joint effort by IITians and ATS, almost 24 youngsters in Maharashtra, who were on the verge of falling into
All 24 youngsters were on the verge of leaving the country to join ISIS when they were identified.
The role of IITians in this operation involving 732 cops is to help the Squad make inroads into the chat rooms that the ISIS is using to target young Muslim youths.
Meanwhile, the ATS is using this information and leveraging the potential of its ground intelligence, technical support and centralized intelligence network to reach out to the affected youths.
Advertisement
Earlier SIMI and Indian Mujaheedin were mind-washing the youth in a similar way by showing them video clips and giving lectures online. It would, however, take them over 9 to 10 months to complete radicalise the youths and turn them into sleeper cells.
"Cracking the ISIS network is a very difficult task as it operates through the internet. They radicalize one person and that person will act as an agent for them and he will radicalize several others. We cannot stop the internet content flow. If we block something they start it with another medium or site on the internet," a top level officer from ATS revealed to India today.
Even as stopping ISIS activities online pose a big challenge in front of authorities, over 354 videos of ISIS on various websites have been blocked, as per a source. Maharashtra ATS has also blocked 14 websites in suspicion of illegal terror activities.
Advertisement
- Some Tesla factory workers realized they were laid off when security scanned their badges and sent them back on shuttles, sources say
- I tutor the children of some of Dubai's richest people. One of them paid me $3,000 to do his homework.
- India not benefiting from democratic dividend; young have a Kohli mentality, says Raghuram Rajan
- Indo-Gangetic Plains, home to half the Indian population, to soon become hotspot of extreme climate events: study
- 7 Vegetables you shouldn’t peel before eating to get the most nutrients
- Gut check: 10 High-fiber foods to add to your diet to support digestive balance
- 10 Foods that can harm Your bone and joint health
- 6 Lesser-known places to visit near Mussoorie