The Jharkhand Police in association with National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday night nabbed key Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) operative from Pakur district. Ibrahim Sheikh (30) was wanted in October 2014 Burdwan blast and several other terrorist activities in bordering areas of India and Bangladesh.
Confirming the prize catch, Pakur Superintendent of Police Anoop Birthary said on Sunday that some arms have also been recovered from the accused. “Police teams of Jharkhand and NIA on Saturday evening arrested Md Ibrahim Sheikh, alias lal Mohammad, alias lalut, from Pakur district. He was on his way out of Tilbhitta railway station near Jharkhand-West Bengal-Bangladesh border in the district. He is a resident of Sahebnagar of Murshidabad.”
He is alleged to have been a frequent traveller to Pukar and other districts of Jharkhand to find recruits. A pen drive containing jihadi material and ideology of banned terror outfit JMB is also alleged to have been recovered from him, sources said. It was claimed that Mohammed was a close aide of Sheikh Rahamatullah alias Sajid Sheikh, the chief of JMB operations in India, and was taking charge of the functioning of the terror outfit after the latter’s arrest in November, 2014.
DGP DK Pandey also confirmed the arrest. “It is a big success for the police. He was a wanted terrorist and has proven links with the terrorist organisation,” said the DGP when contacted on Sunday. The SP added that the terrorist was carrying bounty of Rs 10 lakh on his head. The police have also recovered six crude bombs, a revolver, six live cartridges; mobile chip containing JMB supplied Jehadi literature from the accused. “He has been an active member of the Jamat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh and has hands in Burdwan bomb blast happened last year,” added Anoop Birthary.
The National Investigation Agency was after Ibrahim after the Burdwan blast. Another blast accused Rejaul Karim was arrested from Sahebganj district early this year. It is learnt that Ibrahim’s job was mainly as a chief recruiter for the terror group and he was active in Jharkhand and West Bengal.