The Kolkata Police Special Task Force(STF) apprehended four neo-Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) operative, an Islamic State(IS) affiliate on Tuesday after receiving a tip-off about their whereabouts. Neo-JMB is an affiliate of the IS that executed the ghastly Holey Artisan Bakery attack in Dhaka.
According to the STF, out of the 4 arrested, 3 are Bangladeshi nationals who had been hiding in India to evade arrest in Bangladesh. The fourth arrested is an Indian and was sheltering the other three to recruit more youths and raise funds for the Islamic State.
The two Bangladeshi nationals- Md. Jiaur Rahman and Mamonur Rashid, both were arrested from the neighbourhood of Sealdah Railway Station’s parking lot in Kolkata. The police have found a mobile phone containing photos, videos, jihadi text, and literature in their possession. The remaining two operatives- Md. Sahin Alam and Robiul Islam were arrested from Howrah Station. Alam is a Bangladeshi citizen while Islam is an Indian who lived in West Bengal’s Birbhum district.
The four arrested were very active on social media in propagating their agenda and digital content, videos, audio files and Jihadi literature were retrieved from them. The principal purpose of their terror outfit was to topple democratic governments in India and Bangladesh and establish Shariat compliant Caliphate.
The state of West Bengal is perpetually on tenterhooks largely because of the Bangladeshi terrorists and illegal immigrants sneaking in from the porous India-Bangladesh border.
JMB, an infamous terror outfit on India’s eastern border, was inactive for some time now has managed to regroup under their chief Salauddin Ahmed and Jahidul Aslam and once again resume their operations. Last month, Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh was banned by the government of India under clause (a) of sub-section (1) of section 35 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 with immediate effect.