3 Bangladeshis with suspected terror links held in Pune

During their interrogation, they revealed that they had provided shelter and other help to ABT members during their stay in Pune, the official said.

The Maharashtra anti-terrorism squad (ATS) on Friday arrested three Bangladeshi nationals suspected to have links with the Ansarullah Bangla Team or Ansar Bangla (ABT) – a front organisation of Al-Qaeda and banned outfit in Bangladesh – from Wanavadi and Akurdi areas in Pune.

The Maharashtra anti-terrorism squad (ATS) on Friday arrested three Bangladeshi nationals suspected to have links with the Ansarullah Bangla Team or Ansar Bangla (ABT). (HT File (Representational Image))

“The three accused are aged between 25 and 31 years, and hail either from Khulna or Shariyatpur in Bangladesh,” said a senior ATS officer.

ATS sources said that the three had been staying in Wanavadi and Akurdi illegally, without any authorised travel documents, for the last five years.

During their interrogation, they revealed that they had provided shelter and other help to ABT members during their stay in Pune, the official said.

Acting on specific inputs, the Pune unit of Maharashtra ATS carried out a search operation in Wanavadi and apprehended one Bangladeshi national.

The interrogation led the ATS to nab two more Bangladeshi nationals staying at Akurdi.

They were carrying PAN and Aadhaar cards obtained by using forged documents, said officials. The officer said one of the accused stayed and worked near a sensitive establishment. “Investigation has revealed that these accused were helping active members of ABT to hide in India,” the officer said.

He said the accused worked as construction labourers and had procured SIM cards using fake documents.

A case was filed under sections 19 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act; sections 465, 467, 468, and 471 of the IPC; and sections 3 and 6 Passport (Entry into India); and section 14 of the Foreigners Act.

The officials, however, did not reveal names of the arrested accused. ATS will also probe if the accused had any links to the ABT terrorist, who was arrested from Muzzafarnagar , UP, or with those arrested in Kolkata in November last year.