Roy denies arrest of fourth man

Police Still On Lookout For LeT Supporter In City

Mateen Hafeez & Somit Sen I TNN
Mumbai: On Monday, antiterrorism squad (ATS) officials announced that one of the three suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists in its custody, Mohammed Ramzan Qazi alias Haji (58), had been head-hunting for the Pakistan-backed banned organisation. He was also responsible for funds distribution among new recruits.

According to joint commissioner of police (ATS) K P Raghuvanshi, Haji was assigned the task of looking after the financial transactions of LeT’s local unit in Jammu and Kashmir. He would get the money from Sayyed Salahuddin, the area commander, and then distribute the same to recruits.

Haji, who owns a plush bungalow in the Navpur area of Baramullah district, also owns 15 shop premises, most of which are rented out to commercial establishments. “He also owns an apple orchard on a three acre plot in his home town. His properties are worth over Rs 1.5 crore,’’ said Raghuvanshi.

It is said that Haji, who joined the LeT five years ago, soon became a f avo u r i t e of his bosses in Kashmir for his superb communication skills and c o nv i n c i n g powers.

Meanwhile, in Mumbai, the police seized a diary from Haji, containing names and telephone numbers of at least 15 fruit sellers in Kashmir. The diary also contained prayers written in Arabic. “All three are hard-core terrorists and we are using all kinds of techniques to get the correct information about their plan, target, modules and their men in the city,’’ added Raghuvanshi.

Sources said the police had picked up one more person in this connection, who was being questioned by the ATS. However, police commissioner A N Roy denied the move, saying nobody had been detained after the three arrests.

Roy said the arrested men were supposed to meet a person in Mumbai who was to provide them with logistical support. “We are still to track down this man,’’ he stated.

Roy said the accused were part of the first module to enter Mumbai and establish a base. “I am certain that we have also succeeded in preventing other modules from entering here,’’ Roy said, adding that the modules were ‘sleeper agents’, whose task was to enter here and remain inactive for a few months.

Sources said LeT’s northern commander Salauddin had planned to send the modules to carry out subversive activities in Mumbai in July/August. The central intelligence agencies kept a track of the activities of the Kashmiri militant groups and when they learnt about three men arriving in Mumbai as part of the first module, they alerted the Mumbai police.

The ATS officers claimed that they arrested the trio from Nagpada, though sources said they were picked up from Naya Nagar in Mira Road a week ago.

The Times of India, January 10, 2006