2 Suspected Militants from Al-Qaeda Front Among 3 Held in Kolkata
The third man arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) of Kolkata Police is a local arms dealer.
Three persons, including two suspected members of Bangladesh-based Islamist group Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT), were arrested on Tuesday, 21 November, from the Kolkata railway station, police said.
The third man arrested by the Special Task Force (STF) of Kolkata Police is a local arms dealer.
The ABT is a front for al-Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent and is banned in Bangladesh. It is involved in the murder of several Bangladeshi bloggers.
According to The Telegraph, the Bangladesh-based outfit changed its name to Anarul-Islam, and had earlier been linked to several attacks in India.
Police said initial investigation suggested that the two Bangladeshis had illegally entered India to buy modern firearms and were staying in the country for about 18 months.
"The three were arrested by the STF around 2:30 pm, including Shamsad Mia alias Tanveer alias Tushar Biswas and Riaz alias Riazul Islam from Bangladesh," an officer said.
Police further told Telegraph that they had found visiting cards of chemical factories, and detailed maps of Eden Gardens from the Bangladeshi duo.
"Manotosh Dey alias Mona Da is suspected to be an arms dealer from North 24 Parganas district's Basirhat. Laptops, pen drives and firearms, including a revolver and a shotgun, and several incriminating documents have been seized from the three," he said.
(With inputs from IANS.)
(This is a developing story and will be updated.)
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