Lucknow (The Hawk): Eight members of the terrorist group Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) have been detained by the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS), according to officials.
The people detained have been named as Luqmaan, Shahzad, Kari Mukhtar, Mudassir, Kamil, Alin Noor, Nawazish Ansari, and Aleem, according to an official release.
According to ATS officials, Mudassir was taken into custody in Saharanpur and the others in Haridwar.
They have all been detained on suspicion of violating the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and concealing in order to start a war.
Al Qaeda in the Indian subcontinent (AQIS) and its affiliate agency JMB were expanding their network in Uttar Pradesh and preparing to launch an attack against the state, according to information the ATS was receiving from intelligence agencies, according to ADG (Law and Order), Prashant Kumar.
According to the officer, the detained Bangladeshis used to include orthodox individuals in their group by inviting them in the name of jihad while maintaining their anonymity.
According to the ATS, Luqmaan supported terror operations while also providing terrorist Abdul Talha with a place to live for 11 months.
In addition, the police seized a mobile phone, a pen drive, and anti-country literature and sent them for forensic analysis. The NIA and STF, West Bengal, are seeking Abdul Talha in connection with numerous terrorist acts.
The officer claimed that Shahzad was skilled at making bombs and had expanded the organization's reach to Madhya Pradesh.
"Talha gave Mudassir Rs 80,000 for a terrorist act. Another suspect, Kamil, allegedly used his bank account to receive Rs. 2.5 lakh that Talha had sent, according to ATS sources.
Alinoor also tutored young people who would later become radicalised and hid his true identity. Nawazish and Aleem, two additional suspects, helped the terrorist Talha with logistics.
(Inputs from Agencies)