Migrants as foot-soldiers: How JMB is becoming India’s most dangerous terror group

India

oi-Vicky Nanjappa

New Delhi, Oct 14: The Chief of the National Investigation Agency, Y C Modi said at a conference earlier today that the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) had increased its activities in Bihar, Maharashtra, Kerala and Karnataka. He further went on to say that the names of 125 suspects had been shared with the related agencies.

The statement is important considering the manner in which the JMB has been spreading its tentacles across the country. The activities of the JMB came to light in a major way following the Burdwan blast in 2014. However subsequent investigations by the NIA had revealed that the outfit had a role to play in mobilising the Rohingya Muslims in various parts of the country, the Bodhgaya blasts among other incidents.

40 highly trained jihadis being readied for strikes in India at JeM’s Balakot facility

The role of the JMB in South India too played out in a big way when it was found that its terrorists were hiding in Bengaluru. The NIA arrested Habibur Rehman and Jahidul Islam, both from Karnataka.

He told the NIA during interrogation that he had travelled to Bengal, Bengaluru, Kerala and Chennai.

During the interrogation of Islam to the NIA had learnt that he had travelled to several places across the country and the agency suspects that it was to strengthen the activities of the Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB).

Rehman according to the NIA landed in Bengaluru in 2015. He then took up a job with a contractor in K R Puram. However, following an NIA crackdown which led to arrests in Maharashtra, he moved out of Bengaluru. The case of Islam too is similar. He was residing in Bengaluru and following the crackdown, he moved to Ramanagara, the NIA has learnt.

In another incident, the NIA got more clues about the operations of the JMB following the arrest of Ejaz Ahmed alias Taufique Raza. A chemical engineer by profession, he was part of the JMB since 2008.

He was part of the team that was formed in 2008 to set up modules in West Bengal. The brief was to set up modules in Birbhum, Burdwan, Murshidabad and Nadia.

Sources tell OneIndia that this team was successful in setting up the modules in the above-mentioned places. They even went on to set up strong bases at Khagraghar and Mukimnagar.

Further, the team also targeted persons outside Bengal and even set up modules in Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala. He had mainly targeted migrant labour in these places and roped several of them into the module, officials part of the investigation also said.

To strike at various parts of India, JeM begins training 40 jihadis at Balakot facility

While Ahmed had gone underground for a long time, he returned to the mainstream after a host of operatives of the JMB were arrested. The biggest setback for the JMB was the arrest of Jahidul Islam, who was heading the JMB until then.

Islam played a major role in setting up modules in South India. He would target the migrant labour and Rohingya Muslims to set up modules. In Mallapuram, the members of the JMB were staying at a camp for a long time which was set up for Bengali speaking people. Even in Karnataka, their activities go unchecked as they tend to mingle with those who have migrated in search of work. There is also a concern with regard to the Rohingyas who have moved to various parts of the country in large numbers, including Karnataka. These terrorists often use such persons as a shield and use such states as a safe haven.