Al Qaeda militant nabbed by Kolkata Police STF, sabotage plan thwarted

An Al Qaeda militant was arrested by Kolkata Police STF on Friday from the northern parts of the city. A subsequent raid into his residence in Malda led to the discovery of incriminating information, including plans to sabotage places across India as well as targetting VVIP personalities, said officials.

Kolkata:The Special Task Force (STF) of Kolkata Police on Friday arrested an Al Qaeda militant and got substantial information regarding the group's Indian module's upcoming plans to sabotage several places in the country.

The operative, identified as one Mohammad Hasnat, was nabbed near BT Road in the Northern fringes of the city. Based on inputs gathered through interrogation, cops subsequently raided his residence in Malda district of the state. It is here that several documents, laptops and pen drives containing incriminating information were recovered by sleuths, said officials.

"We have seized several pen drives and various important documents during a search operation at the house of the arrested militant in Malda. There were multiple code words used (in the documents).

We are trying to crack the same and various other important information. The whole matter is still under investigation" Kolkata Police's Joint Superintendent (STF) V Solomon Nishakumar said, while speaking to ETV Bharat.

Sources privy to the development noted that the militants were planning to sabotage several places in the state and across the country. Documents revealed that Al Qaeda was planning to target about a dozen VVIP personalities in India, they further said, unwilling to reveal any names in the list.

After initial investigation, it is suspected that the militants were preparing an escape route to Bangladesh after executing their plans, they also said.