GUWAHATI, April 18 - Modern gadgets provided to the Assam Police by the Government of India before the recently-concluded South Asian Games will be of great help to check the activities of extremists and criminals, while the same played a vital role in the arrest of four jehadis from Kokrajhar and Chirang districts yesterday.
Highly placed police sources told The Assam Tribune that a number of technical gadgets were provided to the Assam Police before the South Asian Games and those not only helped in ensuring tight security during the Games, but were helpful during the process of elections. The drones, which were provided during the Games, were extensively used during the run-up to the elections, particularly during the rallies addressed by the VVIPs. The security forces could keep a close watch on the movement of any person in the vicinity of the fields where the VVIPs addressed rallies by using the drones. Similarly, the drones were also used in other vulnerable places to keep a close watch on possible movement of any suspect, sources added.
On the arrest of four jehadi elements in Kokrajhar and Chirang districts yesterday, police sources said that police and security forces were after them for a long time, while the Central intelligence agencies also provided vital inputs. At the same time, the technical gadgets now available with the police also played a vital role in nabbing the jehadis.
Sources revealed that all the arrested jehadis were members of the Jamaat-ul-Mujaheedin, Bangladesh (JMB). The presence of JMB elements in Assam came to light after an accidental blast in Burdwan in West Bengal in 2014. Following the blast and investigation of the case by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), the fact that JMB elements were active in Assam came to light and a manhunt was launched to nab them. During the course of investigation, a training camp of the JMB was busted in Chirang district last year. Of course, it was only a small camp and some CDs of training were recovered. Though around 30 members and supporters of the JMB were arrested, a few members were on the run and after a long chase four of them were arrested yesterday.
Sources said that at least two key JMB functionaries, including a Bangladeshi national, are still at large and police and security forces are on their trail. However, it is still not known whether they are still inside Assam or they managed to escape either to West Bengal or Bangladesh.
Police also said that the JMB members were not planning any major action in Assam as yet and they were concentrating mostly on recruiting boys from lower Assam districts and they also tried to use Assam as a base.
