Author: S Ahmed Ali
Publication: The Times of India
Date: May 18, 2006
Investigations into the recent arms haul case,
in which 43 kg RDX was seized, took a sharp turn on Wednesday when the name
of foreign militant organisations cropped up.
The Anti-Terrorist Squad (ATS) and the Intelligence
Bureau (IB), which together recovered the explosives and arrested around 10
persons from various parts of the state, are now probing the possible involvement
of two major international militant groups-the Sri Lanka-based Liberation
Tiger of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) and the Bangladesh-based Al-Mujahiuddin Ansar.
Investigators believe that these two are among
the terrorist outfits which have easy access to explosives like RDX and weapons
like AK-47s.
The ATS is now piecing together the jigsaw
with the help of the Research Analysis Wing (RAW) and the CBI to know the
route of explosives.
The ATS has till now arrested 10 persons who
have been identified as Ameer Shakeel, Mohammed Tanvir, Sayyed Anwar, Abdul
Aziz alias Raja, Abdul Gani, Afzal Khan, Mustaque Ahmed, Riyaz Ahmed, Javed
Ahmad and Billal Ansari.
Though all the accused are believed to have
confessed that the consignment was on its way to Gujarat to avenge the killings
of Muslims, investigators are concentrating on the mode of transport used
and the routes to establish the exact source of the consignment into Maharashtra.
Preliminary probe has revealed that the arms
had been routed through Hyderabad, indicating the LTTE's hand. Sources in
the RAW said the defunct LTTE has emerged as a major suppliers of explosives
to the underworld and the Naxalites. The other angle being investigated is
the involvement of Bangladeshi terrorist outfit.
However, the probe has come to an halt as
the main accused Jainuddin alias Jasbeer Ansari-the front man of Lashkar-e-Toiba-is
still absconding.
The director- general of police P S Pasricha
said, "It is very early to say anything as we are still ascertaining
various facts of the case".
