In a major breakthrough the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested a terrorist handler for the Pakistani based Lashkar-e-Taiba group from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport. Saudi based Habibur Rahaman was arrested at the Delhi airport on Monday, after Saudi Arabia deported him. Habibur Rahaman was once a resident of the Kendrapara district of Odisha, he became the handler of Lashkar terrorist Shaikh Abdul Nayeem. Nayeem had earlier been arrested in 2007 for trying to infiltrate terrorists into the country but had escaped in August 2014. “He had again been arrested and along with eight others was formally charged before a court on terrorism charges in November 2017”, said an NIA spokesperson. Habibur is likely to be produced soon before the Patiala House Court in Delhi before further questioning and investigations can proceed. The arrested terrorist is also known to have links with 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks accused Zabiuddin Ansari alias Abu Jundal.
Habibur Rahaman had used Nayeem to learn more about probable terror targets across India and also provided Nayeem with multiple fake identities and hideouts from time to time. He is also known to have arranged finances for the activities of LeT in India. He had used Nayeem for the identification of locations which could be targeted by the terrorists. Nayeem had used multiple fake identities to visit different states including Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Chandigarh to survey and recce probable targets. The NIA official statement read,“A well-established conspiracy was hatched between the accused to target vulnerable locations in India with the intent of causing maximum damage.”
NIA IG Alok Mittal explained Rahaman’s involvement in the terror plot by stating, “Habibur Rahman, who is affiliated to proscribed terrorist organisation LeT, arranged shelter/hideouts and funds for Shaikh Abdul Nayeem on different occasions for carrying out terrorist activities in India on the directions of the LeT commander Amjad @ Rehan who is based in Pakistan.” Nayeem and Rahaman’s involvement in terror activities had come to light after Nayeem’s arrest. Currencies of various countries which showed definite links with hawala operators and weapons of foreign build further laid bare the scale of their operations.
It is being suggested that Rahaman’s arrest is not just a fluke but the result of a planned co-operated effort between the Saudi authorities and those from the NIA. PM Modi’s visit to Saudi has led to a reinforced relation with the Saudi government and authorities. The deportation of Rahaman too would have not been possible unless the Indian authorities had maintained good ties with their Saudi counterparts. The deportation of a LeT terrorist and his subsequent arrest suggests that diplomatic ties between the two countries are at an all time high and Saudi Arabia is not going to allow terrorists to use their soil for anti-India activities. Rahaman’s arrest is a major boost for the NIA as it will lead to more names of terrorists and their helpers coming out in the open. It will become easier for NIA and other security agencies to pin the blame of terror activities on LeT and Pakistan which provides financial help as well as serves as the breeding grounds for running anti-India terror camps.