Kolkata, October 1 (Daily Kiran) : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has launched a tracking operation for youth in West Bengal who may have been radicalized, following the arrest of four members of the militant group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).
These suspects, allegedly linked to the Bangladesh-based extremist organization, are accused of brainwashing individuals in West Bengal to recruit them into the group. On Tuesday, the NIA apprehended the four suspects in the districts of East Bardhaman and South 24 Parganas. Investigators reportedly uncovered crucial documents that included names of local youths who had been in regular contact with the arrested individuals.
Sources indicate that these JMB affiliates employed specific methods to identify and connect with young people from a particular community in West Bengal who were susceptible to radicalization and willing to join or support the terrorist group.
The initial step involved disseminating JMB messages through a Telegram channel named “Purbo Akash.” After identifying youths who responded positively to these messages, the suspects would engage with them either individually or in small groups, further radicalizing them to join the organization.
The investigation revealed that once the initial brainwashing process was completed, the JMB associates communicated with selected youths via encrypted chats, discussing how to execute terrorist activities, including networking and sabotage across various regions of the country.
The arrested suspects had begun raising funds through their crowdfunding mechanism. NIA officials recovered several mobile phones, SIM cards, and other materials from the detainees. Among those arrested, an imam named Mohammad Sheikh was taken into custody on suspicion of terrorist connections from the Mangalkot area of East Bardhaman, while three others were apprehended in South 24 Parganas. They have been identified as Jumman Sheikh, Shaharul Purkait, and Abdul Rafiq.
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