Jihadi links: NIA raids parts of city

SHILLONG, Sep 23: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted a raid at Fourth Furlong or Sawfurlong area looking for links with Bangladesh-based terror group Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT).
Reportedly, the Guwahati branch of NIA raided the location in connection with the Assam case related to printing and spreading of Jihadi fundamentals.
“In this connection they had come and carried out the raid but no arrests were made,” according to sources. It was however not disclosed who they were actually looking for.
For the past many months in Assam, raids have been conducted at various places for traces of alleged links to Al-Qaeda Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and ABT and set up of ‘Jihadi’ sleeper cells.
According to the sources, the presence of Jihadi sleeper cells cannot be ruled out.
Meanwhile, Director General of Police Lajja Ram Bishnoi said he was unaware of any NIA raid in the city.
“The NIA has not coordinated with us and they are mainly conducting raids in the state of Assam,” he said.
The Assam police have intensified its crackdown on Jihadi terror module and several arrests are being made by the police over alleged links with terrorist groups AQIS and ABT.
Earlier, Assam DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta had stated that some counter-radicalisation measures have been initiated to tackle the growing network of Jihadis in the state.
He said that some unscrupulous elements are taking advantage of the madrassas that have been sprouting in Assam.
In August last, the NIA had filed charge sheet against as many as eight accused Jihadis, who were arrested in Assam and this charge sheet was the first filed by the NIA in connection with the arrests made by the police in Assam in recent times for alleged links with Jihadi elements.