KOLKATA: In a major breakthrough, the Kolkata Police Special Task Force nabbed 6 Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) operatives at different locations near the Indo-Bangladesh border in West Bengal and Assam.
Of the 6 nabbed JMB operatives, 5 are accused in the Khagraghar blasts in Burdwan and have been named in the NIA chargesheet and had award announced by NIA for information of the accused. Three of the nabbed JMB operatives are Bangladeshis and three are Indians.
Kolkata Police STF chief Vishal Garg said that interrogations revealed that the JMB operatives were planning to strike in locations in South India and North East India.
He also claimed that the accused had fled to South India and Northeast after the Burdwan blasts.
The nabbed operatives are Anowar Hossein Faruk alias Inam alias Kalubhai, the West Bengal Chief of JMB and a native of Jamalpur in Bangladesh; Md Rafique alias Rubel alias Picchi, a resident of Jamalpur in Bangladesh and an IED specialist, Jahidul Sheikh alias Jafar alias Jabirul, Maulana Yousuf alias Bakkar alias Abu Khetab, a native of Mangalkot in Burdwan district of West Bengal, Shahidul alias Surjya alias Shamim, the JMB chief in Northeast and a native of Barpeta in Assam and Abdul Kalam alias Kalim, a resident of Bangladesh.
Garg, during a press conference here on Monday, said,"Some 2 kg explosives including white explosive powder which have been sent for testing, several mobile phones, a letter written in Bengali, bearing balls and wire cutters and batteries have been recovered from the accused."
"A chemical compound book and a trade licence have been recovered from Rafique. A blueprint of JMB hierarchy has been found from Inam," he added.
The accused were on the NIA radar and one arrest led to the arrest of the rest of the accused.
"Some two days ago Jabirul was arrested by Kolkata STF in a fake currency note racket in Cachar district of south Assam. He was brought to Kolkata. After interrogation, it came to light that he was a JMB operative," Garg added.
After credible information, Kalim was nabbed in New Coochbehar railway station while coming into West Bengal from Dhubri. STF claimed he crossed over from Bangladesh to West Bengal via Assam. He was sent to take care of JMB's organisation in Cachar.
"From North 24 Parganas district, Inam and Rafique were nabbed near the Bongaon-Bagda road close to the border. Yousuf and Shahidul were nabbed from Natun Bazar in Basirhat in the same district," he added.
Apart from making IEDs, Rafique also facilitated entry of JMB operatives from Bangladesh into India.
STF chief claimed that the operatives used code language to stay in touch and their language was decoded.
The 6 accused were produced in Bankshal court on Monday afternoon and were given to police custody till October 9. They were later taken to Lalbazar, the Kolkata Police Headquarters for further interrogation.
Sources said that police were given custody till Oct 9 so that they can visit locations in South India and Northeast India for more evidences.