West Bengal on Alert: Bangladesh Terrorist Group JMB Plans Sleeper Cells, Youth Recruitment & Cross-Border Modules Exposed by Intelligence
In light of recent intelligence, security and intelligence agencies have heightened alertness across seven districts in West Bengal due to concerns regarding the Bangladesh-based extremist group, Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), and their plans to establish operational modules in areas with significant minority populations.
The intelligence was primarily gathered from the interrogation of three associates of JMB who were apprehended recently. Two suspects, Aazmal Hossain and Saheb Ali Khan, were taken into custody in Birbhum, while another, Abasuddin Molla, was arrested in South 24 Parganas. Additionally, information has been acquired through field investigations conducted by both central and state intelligence teams.
According to sources, the group’s strategy is divided into two phases. The initial phase focuses on creating modules in Malda, Murshidabad, and North Dinajpur. Once established in these districts, the group intends to target North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, Nadia, and Birbhum next. An insider within the state police indicated that these plans are crafted to infiltrate especially sensitive areas in both North and South Bengal.
While Malda and North Dinajpur are situated in the northern part of the state, the remaining five districts lie to the south. Importantly, except for Birbhum, the other six districts share international borders with Bangladesh. Birbhum, although borderless, serves as a critical transit area connecting South and North Bengal, particularly via Murshidabad. Notably, the recent investigations into a significant cattle smuggling racket revealed that Birbhum played a key role as a transit route to Bangladesh.
The JMB’s approach involves recruiting and radicalizing the youth, including minors, before inserting them into sleeper cells. Authorities have identified potential targets among the youth, influenced by the arrested JMB members.
Furthermore, investigators have established connections between Abasuddin Molla and Pakistan, one of the three Indian JMB associates detained by West Bengal’s special task force (STF) earlier this month. Findings indicate that coded encrypted messages found on the phones of Aazmal Hossain and Saheb Ali Khan point to affiliations with other extremist organizations such as Hizb-ut Tahrir (HUT), and Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT).
Coded and encrypted messages found on Molla’s mobile phones revealed his consistent communication with individuals located in Pakistan, as well as connections to associates of the Jammu and Kashmir-based extremist group, Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind.