Terror Suspect Linked to Bangladesh Group Arrested by West Bengal Police
Kolkata: A terror suspect with alleged links to a Bangladesh-based outfit was arrested by the special task force (STF) of the West Bengal Police on Saturday afternoon from Kanksa in Burdwan West. Five of his aides were also detained for questioning.
The accused, Mohammed Habibullah, is a member of banned terror group, Shahadat-e al Hiqma, which was formed by the operators of another major outfit, Ansar-al-Islam, after it faced crackdown in Bangladesh.
Booked under the UAPA and IPC charges, the culprit was remanded in police custody for two weeks by a district court after his production on Sunday. Habibullah is a second-year college student with computer science in the district.
He allegedly headed a module that used encrypted messaging platforms like “BiP” to coordinate the recruitment of young minds from India and Bangladesh, according to the STF. The STF caught him from a house at Mirpara during a raid at 3 pm on Saturday following a tip-off. Based on his revelations, five of his associates were also detained from Nababghat area later.
Deputy Commissioner (East) of Asansol-Durgapur Police Commissionerate, Abhishek Gupta, said, “The STF has arrested one person on suspicion of being a militant. The STF and the Kanksa police station are investigating.” The NIA already registered three cases against the Ansar al-Islam—one each in Mizoram, Bengaluru and Bengal.