Assam Police on Thursday busted two ‘jihadi’ modules with links to a terror outfit in Bangladesh and arrested 10 persons in the past 48 hours, officers said.
While one module was busted in Barpeta district in lower Assam, the other was in Morigaon district of central Assam. Police said both have links with Bangladesh-based Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), which is part of Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).
“Action has been taken against jihadi modules and this is part of a coordinated effort with national agencies. There are several jihadi elements in Assam with links to radicalized outfits in Bangladesh. This happens because of the state’s close proximity with the neighbouring nation,” chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma told reporters.
This is not the first instance of jihadi elements with Bangladesh links being arrested in Assam. In March and April, 10 residents of Barpeta district and a Bangladeshi national with links to ABT were arrested in the state.
“On Wednesday, Bongaigaon district police arrested one Abbas Ali from Goalpara district for links with ABT and also for sheltering a jihadi from Bangladesh,” said additional director general of police ADGP (special branch) Hiren Nath. “Based on his interrogation, eight more persons — seven in Barpeta and one in Guwahati — have been arrested.”
In Morigaon district, police arrested one Mufti Mustafa Ahmed from Moirabari for links with ABT. The accused also managed a madrasa, which the police sealed following his arrest.
{{/usCountry}}In Morigaon district, police arrested one Mufti Mustafa Ahmed from Moirabari for links with ABT. The accused also managed a madrasa, which the police sealed following his arrest.
{{/usCountry}}Acting on specific information, the police raided the madrasa at Sohoria village under Moirabari police station on Wednesday and arrested Mustafa, Morigaon SP Aparna Natarjan told reporters.
Mustafa was allegedly involved in various financial transactions and anti-national activities of the terror outfit, she said.
Preliminary investigation has revealed that Ahmed used to regularly receive money since 2020 from a Bangladesh national with jihadi links. He also sheltered two Bangladeshi nationals at his home till January, 2022, a senior police officer said.
“We recovered jihadi literature and videos from Ahmed’s house. There’s very strong evidence against him. He was produced in court on Thursday and sent to 12 days police custody. The other persons are being questioned for more information,” said Nath.