The Special Task Force (STF) of the Kolkata Police, has arrested six wanted militants of the banned Islamic outfit, Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) from Assam and different parts of West Bengal.

Reports said that the arrest also includes Abdul Hossain Faruk, the head of JMB’s Bengal unit, and Moulana Yusuf, the second-in-command and the main accused in the Burdwan Blast of 2014.

For their alleged role in the blast at Khagragarh in Burdwan on October 2, 2014, the five among the six have been listed as wanted militants by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

The others, who have been arrested, were identified as, Jahidul Sheikh alias Zaffar alias Jabirul; Mohammad Rafique alias Mohammed Rubel alias Pichchi; Shahidul alias Surya alias Shamim; and, Abdul Kalam alias Kalim. Police said that they all were remanded in Police custody till October 6.

The Join Commissioner of Police, Vishal Garg said, “We were keeping a close watch on the leaders of JMB and their movements in Bangladesh and West Bengal. After the Khagragarh blast, they left West Bengal and moved to the northeastern states and parts of south India. We were successful in nabbing them through physical and technical surveillance. They were using a secret network for communication, which was cracked.”

According to police, they have recovered forged identity documents, mobile phones, SIM cards, foreign currency, wire cutters, batteries, detonators, travel guides in Bangla, books on chemical formulas and cameras from four of the arrested. The police added that 2 kg of white powder, which is yet be identified, was recovered from Faruk.

By Prajakt K