Bengal cops to put Afghan citizens in state under surveillance

Kolkata Police are focusing on tracking the movements of foreigners residing in the state in a bid to curb activities related to terror and espionage. Checklists include authentication of passports, duration of visas and a fresh background check.

Kolkata (West Bengal): The West Bengal police have launched a drive to check the credentials of those Afghan citizens currently residing in Kolkata, given the recent developments in the war-torn nation of Afghanistan. Checklists include authentication of passports, duration of visas and a fresh background check. While the focus will be on Afghan citizens, the city and state police sleuths will also bring under strict surveillance the activities of citizens from Bangladesh and African countries who are currently residing in West Bengal.

According to sources from Kolkata Police, the movements of foreigners residing in the state will be tracked in a bid to curb activities such as terror networks or espionage.

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"Generally, Afghan citizens who are currently staying in the state now, are here for two reasons. One group is involved in the trade of dry fruits and money lending. The second group is here for the purpose of treatment. They mainly reside in the Park Circus and Topsia. Several restaurants of Afghan delicacy have been set up in these regions. Now we will conduct their fresh background check, authenticity of passports and terms of the visas," a police official said.

Besides Afghans, a large number of Bangladeshis, also frequently visit the state for treatment purposes. "Besides, a number of students from African countries study in different colleges of the state and also play for different football clubs. We will also bring them under strict surveillance," the city police official added.

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Already the Taliban's are extending their hands towards several militant groups active in India. Some such groups are also quite active in West Bengal. On such group is Ansar-ul- Bangla Team (ABT), which has been recently christened as Ansar-ul-Islam. The top brass of this organization claims it to be the Bangladesh-wing of the Al-Qaeda and they were responsible for killing a number of bloggers in Bangladesh.

Although this group has been operating in Bangladesh since 2007, it was declared as a banned organization by the Bangladesh government in 2013. However, the organization with a new name has become a headache for the state intelligence agencies. The sleuths believe that the terror connections with the foreign citizens residing in the state is really a major cause of concern and hence the efforts are being made to increase surveillance on them.