PATNA: Bihar anti-terrorism squad (ATS) and National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday arrested the master trainer of the outlawed Popular Front of India (PFI) Yaqub alias Sultan Usman Khan, from East Champaran district in Bihar.
Acting on a tip-off, a joint team of NIA, ATS, and East Champran police conducted a raid at Bansghat Gawandara village under Chakia police station late on Tuesday and took Yaqub into custody.
It could not be immediately known whether any illegal document was recovered from his possession at the time of his arrest. The NIA later took the alleged master trainer to an undisclosed location for further interrogation.
Superintendent of Police (SP), East Champaran, Kantesh Kumar Mishra confirmed the arrest of Yaqub. He said the district police extended its full cooperation in the operation against the PFI activist, who was absconding for long.
Yaqub came into the limelight about four years ago when a video showing him imparting training to newly recruited members of PFI at Gandhi Maidan in Chakia had gone viral on social media. This caught the attention of intelligence agencies.
Authoritative sources in state police headquarters said that Yaqub was a frequent visitor to Phulwarisharif office of PFI before the searches carried out against the banned outfit in September last year. He used to impart training to youths.
Yaqub's arrest followed the action initiated against Azhar and Jalaluddin in Phulwarisharif locality of the state capital last year. The Patna police had busted a terrorist training module of PFI. Later the case was handed over to NIA.
The arrest of the trio suspects has provided vital information to NIA, which is conducting an investigation into the Phulwarisharif module of PFI. In September last year, union government declared PFI an outlawed outfit which was involved inti-India activities.
Yaqub is stated to be fond of flaunting weapons on social media platforms. In one of the videos, Yaqub can be seen posing for the camera as he oversees a bunch of youths training in the backyard.
In other visuals, he can be seen brandishing guns and swords. “Yaqub's arrest is a significant development in action against PFI activities in the state,” a senior IPS officer said on condition of anonymity.