Kolkata, Sep 23 (IANS): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) sleuths have found a secret arms manufacturing unit at Abu Sufiyan's residence at Raninagar in Domkal subdivision of West Bengal's Murshidabad district, sources said.
Earlier, NIA officials on Sunday night had also conducted a raid at the house of Abu Sufiyan, one of the six Al-Qaeda members arrested from Murshidabad, and questioned his family members. They had also seized electrical circuits and other devices from a concrete bunker found inside Sufiyan's residence.
The NIA had conducted raids at multiple locations in West Bengal's Murshidabad district on Saturday morning (September 19) arresting six people in connection with terrorist activities linked with Pakistan-sponsored module of Al-Qaeda. Abu Sufiyan, Najmus Sakid, Mainul Mondal, Leu Yean Ahmed, Al Mamun Kamal and Atitur Rehman were arrested from Murshidabad.
Sources said that some iron machinery was also seized from his place which was used for making country-made weapons including improvised rocket launchers.
According to a press communique released by the NIA, the investigating agency had come to know about an inter-state module of Al-Qaeda operatives at various locations in India including West Bengal and Kerala. It said: "The group was planning to execute terrorist attacks at vital installations in India with an aim to kill innocent people and strike terror in their minds. Accordingly, NIA registered a case and initiated investigation."
The agency also revealed that a large number of incriminating material including digital devices, documents, jihadi literature, sharp weapons, country-made firearms, locally fabricated body armour, articles and literature used for making homemade explosive devices were seized from their possession.
As per preliminary investigation, these individuals were radicalised by Pakistan-based Al-Qaeda terrorists on social media and were motivated to undertake attacks at multiple places including the National Capital Region (NCR). "For this purpose, the module was actively indulging in fund raising and a few members of the gang were planning to travel to New Delhi to procure arms and ammunition," the press release said.