New Delhi/IBNS: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Friday arrested a former convict in a conspiracy case related to the terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) for allegedly introducing the suspected mastermind of the Bengaluru Rameshwaram Cafe blast to a foreign-based handler, media reports said.

The arrest comes three days after a massive crackdown was launched by the NIA across four states in the Rameshwaram cafe blast case.

The latest arrestee has been charged with setting up an encrypted channel of communication between the mastermind of the Bengaluru blast case and the foreign handler.

The accused has been identified as Shoaib Ahmed Mirza (35) alias Chhotu, a resident of Hubbali, Karnataka.

He is the fifth accused to be arrested in the Rameshwaram Cafe blast in Bengaluru on March 1 that left at least 10 injured. Several customers and hotel staff members were among those injured and it caused extensive damage to the popular cafe.

In March, the NIA arrested the other key conspirator in the Rameshwaram cafe blast case in Bengaluru following massive raids across multiple locations in three states.

Muzammil Shareef, who extended logistic support to the other two identified accused in the case, was arrested after the NIA teams cracked down at 18 locations including 12 in Karnataka, 5 in Tamil Nadu, and one in Uttar Pradesh.

The NIA has so far conducted extensive searches at 29 locations across India in connection with the case.