Al-Qaeda, ABT trying to establish its footprints in Assam: Police

Guwahati (Assam) [India], July 29 (ANI): Assam police on Friday said that Al-Qaeda is trying to establish its footprints, base in Assam and formed several modules in the state.

The Assam police have recently busted two modules of Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) in Morigaon and Barpeta districts and arrested 11 persons including one who was running a Madrasa.

Hiren Nath, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP) (Special Branch) of Assam police on Friday said, "Al-Qaeda has tried to establish their footprint and base in Assam, but we got the inputs and busted it. We tracked all the modules. They have some nefarious designs and are doing their activities very secretly and taking different names. They are doing a lot of indoctrination and influencing the people."

"We have found that Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) have translated some Jihadi literature, some issues in Bengali and Assamese language which are not related to Assam and distributed these. We have also found some information regarding some attempts to establish their footprints, especially in the bordering areas of Assam-Arunachal Pradesh. We are examining all the points," Hiren Nath said.

He also said during the last three days, Assam Police have busted two modules that had connections with Jihadi elements and ABT.

"One module we have found in Morigaon district and one Mustafa alias Mufti who was running a Madrasa was arrested last night. We picked up another person identified as Afsaruddin Bhuyan who is also very closely connected with Mustafa and he was running a computer shop. The information against them is that they had collected enough funds in frequent intervals from 2020 onwards from a couple of persons - one of them is Amiruddin Ansari alias Hujur who was arrested by another investigating agency from Howrah, West Bengal and another person Mamunul Rashid who was arrested by Barpeta police couple of months before," stated the ADGP.
"We have received information that a couple of people stayed with Mustafa and at least two of them are Bangladeshi nationals and maybe they are absconding who are wanted by investigating agencies," Hiren Nath said.

The top Assam cop further said that - "The Barpeta module, specially we called it Jania module because all arrested persons from Jania area in Barpeta district. 11 persons were picked up and they were thoroughly interrogated and after interrogation we have arrested eight persons. We have also found lots of connection with the Jihadi elements, Jihadi literature have been recovered from them and their social media platforms are full of Jihadi links and materials. We are investigating thoroughly."

Hiren Nath also said that, Mustafa Mufti had gone to Kolkata for couple of times and met Amiruddin Ansari alias Hujur and was stayed at his house in Howrah area and he received money from Amiruddin of small installments like as Rs 49,000, Rs 47,000.

"We are finding all this things of modus operandi. Bank transactions were happened. We will interrogate Amiruddin also to find out that from where the money was coming," Hiran Nath said.

Talking about Akhtar Hussain Lashkar who was arrested by the Central Crime Branch of Bengaluru recently, the ADGP (Special Branch) said that, as of now no connection has been established between the 11 arrested persons by the Assam Police and Akhtar Hussain Lashkar hailing from Katigorah in Assam's Cachar district, who was arrested by the Central Crime Branch of Bengaluru recently.

"We have connected with Bengaluru police and received information that, Akhtar Hussain Lashkar was involved with other module, not in Barpeta and Morigaon module," added the official. (ANI)