NIA arrests PFI leader Mahboob Alam in terror conspiracy case
The NIA has arrested Mahboob Alam, Bihar's Popular Front of India (PFI) president, for his role in a 2022 terror conspiracy case from Phulwarisharif.
Alam was picked up this week in Kishanganj, making him the 19th out of 26 accused to be detained.
He faces charges of plotting criminal acts to stir religious tensions and disrupt public order.
Alam fled to Oman after Phulwarisharif camp bust
Investigators say Alam was involved in recruiting and training members, fundraising, and other anti-national activities—evidence came from a secret PFI document called "India 2047 Towards Rule of Islam in India," seized back in July 2022.
After the Phulwarisharif terror camp bust that year, Alam fled to Oman in areas linked to ISIS and Boko Haram, but quietly returned to India in March 2025 and hid while working as a teacher.
His arrest is seen as key for breaking up PFI's networks; the NIA is still following leads across several districts.