Author: Statesman News Service
Publication: The Statesman
Date: September 12, 2003
Though Kolkata Police's attempts
to trace the owner of the truck that carried a cache of ammunition to Kolkata
has drawn a blank, Intelligence agencies have intensified their operations
along the Indo-Bangla border to track down terrorist outfits operating
here.
Indian agencies have begun their
operations in small towns and villages on the Indian side adjacent
to Kusthia, Khulna, Chittagong hill tracks, Ukhia, Satkhira, Rangpur and
Barisal in Bangladesh.
"Most of these outfits have active
support for Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence. They are using every
place, from roadside motels to small villages, as operating bases.
It is very difficult to gather information
in these places without the help of the local population which does not
come easily," a senior intelligence officer said.
The Indian agencies were not actually
surprised when the truck loaded with 25,000 rounds of AK-47 ammunition
was discovered in Kolkata because they had prior information that
a number of such shipments were on their way to the city.
"This is just part of an organised
operation to stockpile arms and ammunition for subversive activities
in eastern India. Kolkata is a favourite destination because of its dense
population and cosmopolitan culture," the officer said.
Even the BSF has been asked by the
Centre to strengthen vigil along the border. Mr SIS Ahmed, ADG (Eastern
Zone) of the BSF said yesterday that the at a recent conference, Bangladesh
Rifles officials were officially informed about militants and fundamentalist
organisations having bases and running training camps on the Bangladesh
side of the border.
The post of the ADG (east) BSF was
created by Delhi in September last year exclusively to monitor
the 4127-km long border from Bengal to Myanmar.
Mr Ahmed admitted that activities
of extremists and fundamentalist forces along this long stretch is on the
rise, making border management a difficult task.
