According to the reports on Saturday (21 December), amid ongoing unrest in Bangladesh, Pakistan’s intelligence agency, ISI, has intensified its activities in North Bengal, Nepal, and bordering regions of West Bengal and Assam. Two suspected terrorists, Abbas and Minarul, were arrested in Murshidabad by the West Bengal Special Task Force. Their interrogation revealed plans to smuggle weapons through a corridor connecting Nepal, North Bengal, and Bangladesh, aiming to create chaos in Bengal and Assam. The arrested individuals were linked to the banned Bangladeshi militant group Ansarullah Bangla Team.
Intelligence reports indicate that ISI handlers in Nepal were orchestrating the arms smuggling operation, reactivating sleeper cells in Falakata and surrounding areas. These cells aimed to transport weapons via the strategically crucial Chicken Neck region in North Bengal. Meetings were held in Falakata, where Mujibar and Noor Islam reportedly worked to establish new sleeper cells and solidify the corridor. The arms smuggling network was part of a broader plan to destabilize northeastern India.
The militants used a cover story of onion seed trading to conceal their activities. Minarul frequently traveled to Assam under the guise of procuring onion seeds, distributing them to farmers to blend into local communities. Investigators found that these trips were used to plan terror activities, including the smuggling of weapons and forming sleeper cells. Communication through encrypted platforms like WhatsApp revealed instructions from their handlers and links to other operatives.
Further investigation uncovered evidence of direct support from Pakistan for the Ansarullah Bangla Team. Eight other group members were interrogated, providing additional proof of the ISI’s involvement. Local sources also reported that a Bangladeshi sleeper cell operative had entered Murshidabad months earlier to activate the network. The terrorists aimed to exploit the political unrest in the region to execute their plans, highlighting the need for heightened vigilance in border areas.
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