Sleeper Cell of Bangladeshi Terror Group Targeted Siliguri Corridor: West Bengal Police

West Bengal Police revealed on Friday, December 20, 2024, that members of the Bangladesh-based terror outfit Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) were allegedly running a sleeper cell in India with the specific aim of targeting the Siliguri corridor. This strategic corridor, also known as the “chicken’s neck,” connects north Bengal to the seven northeastern states of India and is critical for national security.

The arrested individuals, eight in total, had reportedly been operating across three states—Kerala, Assam, and West Bengal—to recruit youth and acquire arms. According to the police, ABT is a splinter group of Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and has been banned in India, Bangladesh, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Arrests and Evidence Seized

The Special Task Force (STF) of Assam Police, which is leading the investigation, confirmed that all eight accused, including two arrested in West Bengal, have been remanded to 10 days of police custody. During the operation, the authorities seized multiple incriminating materials, including four pen drives and several documents, which are now under analysis by the Assam STF.

Two of the suspects were apprehended in Murshidabad district, West Bengal, on December 18. Gaurav Sharma, Inspector General (IG) of the West Bengal STF, stated, “We received information that the Ansarullah Bangla Team was trying to set up sleeper cells in the country to recruit youth and procure arms. They aimed to exploit communal tensions and economic disparities to radicalize and recruit individuals for their ideology.”

Recruitment Activities Across India

Police investigations revealed that Farhan Ishrat, a close associate of the ABT chief, had allegedly sent an operative, Saad Radi, from Bangladesh to India for recruitment activities. Radi reportedly visited Kerala, West Bengal, and Assam to establish the sleeper cell network.

Radi was arrested in a coordinated raid conducted on the night of December 17-18, during which simultaneous operations were carried out in all three states.

“The primary objective of the sleeper cell was to recruit local youth to engage in terrorist activities, with a focus on turning the Siliguri corridor into an active base for their operations,” said Supratim Sarkar, Additional Director General of Police (ADG), South Bengal.

Details of the Arrested Individuals

The two suspects arrested in West Bengal have been identified as:

Minarul Sheikh (48): A pump mechanic.
Md Abbas Ali (29): A resident who was attempting to set up a small education center for children.

According to ADG Sarkar, Ali has a criminal history. “He was previously arrested in a case involving POCSO, kidnapping, and rape. He had served two years in prison and was out on bail,” Sarkar added.

Police also seized multiple mobile phones, documents, and a 16GB pen drive during the operation. The recovered items have been handed over to Assam police for further investigation. Joint interrogations between the Assam and West Bengal police are planned to uncover more details about the group’s activities and their future plans.

Rising Tensions and Broader Implications

The arrests come amid heightened tensions between India and Bangladesh, fueled by reports of atrocities against religious minorities in Bangladesh and the recent arrest of Hindu monk Chinmoy Krishna Das. Last month, a former Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) leader was also arrested in Kolkata, raising concerns about cross-border activities by extremist groups.

West Bengal Police are now focused on uncovering whether the arrested individuals had specific plans to carry out terror activities within the state. Authorities remain vigilant, as the Siliguri corridor remains a critical and vulnerable area in terms of national security.