In a major crackdown, the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorist Squad arrested eight members linked to the Bangladeshi terrorist organization Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh and Al-Qaeda in Indian Subcontinent, according to officials on Monday.
The arrested terrorists were identified as Lukmaan hailing from Saharanpur, Kari Mukhtar, Kamil, Mohammad Aleem, Shahzad (Shamli), Mudassir (Haridwar), Nawazish Ansari (Jharkhand) and Ali Noor (Bangladesh).
They were booked under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
The officials also recovered Rs 2.5 lakh in cash from the accused. According to the officials, the accused were radicalising the youth of Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
"They were promoting Jihadi ideology through religious institutions in Salempur, Jwalapur, Haridwar in western UP and Uttarakhand," said the sources.
Bangladeshi terrorist Abdullah Talha had sent money for terror funding.
Meanwhile, as part of the crackdown, the police of another BJP-ruled state, Assam have arrested over 40 persons so far including the Imam and madrasa teachers on charges of being linked to terror outfits -- Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) and Al Qaida in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS).
There were reports that some militants disguised as religious teachers had sneaked into the state and silently gone ahead with their subversive and anti-state activities.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that some madrassa managements were not running the institution but were running a terrorist hub.
"I don't want to generalise (all madrassas), but we investigate and take appropriate action when a complaint of fundamentalism comes," Sarma had said.
Recently, Chief Minister Sarma said in a press conference that, six Bangladeshi nationals who are members of Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) / Al-Qaeda Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), entered Assam in 2016-17 and Assam police had arrested one among them and five are still absconding.
For better surveillance, Assam Chief Minister reiterated that Islamic teachers coming into the state will be closely monitored and moreover the state was developing a portal where their details will be captured.
"We have laid down standard operating procedures. Locals must inform police if any religious teacher (Imam) coming outside of the state and are not known to them," Sarma told reporters.
( With inputs from ANI )
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