New Delhi: Eight individuals, including seven Bangladeshi nationals allegedly linked to a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) module, have been arrested by the Delhi Police’s Special Cell in a major counter-terror operation following coordinated raids in Delhi, Kolkata and Tamil Nadu.
According to police, the nearly ten-day operation foiled a potential terror plot and exposed a highly radicalised network that had entered India illegally, procured forged Indian identity documents and conducted reconnaissance of sensitive installations.
The arrested operatives were allegedly recruited and handled by Shabir Ahmad Lone, alias Raja alias Kashmiri, a trained Kashmiri LeT operative currently based in Bangladesh. Lone, a resident of Kangan village in Srinagar district of Jammu and Kashmir, had earlier been arrested and convicted by the Special Cell in 2007 in a terror case involving the recovery of arms and ammunition, including an AK-47 rifle and grenades.
After his release from Tihar Jail in 2018, he allegedly fled to Bangladesh and began attempting to revive Lashkar-e-Taiba’s network in India by activating sleeper cells and recruiting Bangladeshi nationals living illegally in the country.
Additional Commissioner of Police (Special Cell) Pramod Singh Kushwah said the timely crackdown had prevented possible terror strikes.
“The timely apprehension of these individuals has averted possible terror strikes in India. The investigation has revealed that the module was being handled by a Lashkar-e-Taiba operative based in Bangladesh, who was actively recruiting Bangladeshi nationals, facilitating their illegal stay in India using forged identity documents, and directing them to carry out reconnaissance and other terror-related activities,” he said. The case came to light on February 8, when a CISF shift in-charge lodged a complaint at the Supreme Court Metro Police Station regarding pro-Pakistan and pro-terror posters found pasted at Janpath Metro Station. Similar posters were later discovered at multiple locations across Delhi.
The posters glorified slain terrorist Burhan Wani and carried provocative slogans such as “India stop genocide & Free Kashmir”, along with Urdu phrases expressing allegiance to Pakistan and calling for Kashmiri unity. A case was registered under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and the Prevention of Defacement of Public Property Act, and the probe was transferred to the Special Cell owing to its sensitive nature.
Teams of the Special Cell, led by Inspectors Sunil Rajain and Dheeraj under the supervision of ACP Rahul Vikram and DCP Amit Kaushik, launched an extensive intelligence-driven operation. Human intelligence sources were activated and technical surveillance intensified to track suspects and uncover the broader conspiracy.
Investigators traced the movements of key suspects across Delhi, Gurugram and Kolkata, eventually identifying their hideouts. On February 15, a raid was conducted at Majherpara in Kolkata, leading to the arrest of Umar Faruk (31), a resident of Malda, West Bengal, and Robiul Islam (31), a Bangladeshi national.
Further investigation led to simultaneous raids on February 21 in Tiruppur district of Tamil Nadu, where six more operatives — Mizanur Rehman (32), Sefayat Hossain (34), Zahidul Islam (40), Liton (40), Uzzal (27) and Umar (32) — were arrested. All six are Bangladeshi nationals who had been residing in India illegally and working in garment units using forged Indian identity documents. Police recovered incriminating material from the accused, including multiple pro-terror posters, ten mobile phones containing evidence of communication with handlers, Bangladeshi passports and identity documents, 25 credit and debit cards, and five point-of-sale machines.
Investigators found reconnaissance material and alleged attempts to procure weapons. Police said Umar Faruk was indoctrinated by Shabir Ahmad Lone to recruit operatives and expand the module. Further investigation is under way.