Bengal STF Nabs Pakistani National and Local Aide in Anti-ISI Crackdown

The West Bengal Police’s Special Task Force has arrested a suspected Pakistani national and his local contact over alleged ties to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency.

Sleuths first picked up the Pakistani citizen, identified as Wahab Alam alias Rana Raut, from Habra in North 24 Parganas district. Following inputs gathered during his interrogation, officers detained a second suspect, Muhammad Izaz, from the Topsia area in East Kolkata.

Investigators believe Izaz functioned as a key local contact for Alam. Special Task Force (STF) officials have maintained silence regarding the specific circumstances, timing, and precise operational locations of the arrests.

Network Under Scrutiny

Initial probes indicate both men were in contact with Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) operatives. While evidence suggests Alam holds Pakistani citizenship, authorities are working to conclusively establish his nationality and ascertain the purpose of his activities in India. Officers are also probing whether Izaz is an Indian citizen or holds separate links to Pakistan.

Key aspects of the STF probe reveal:

• Sleuths arrested Wahab Alam alias Rana Raut from Habra, identifying him as a suspected Pakistani national.

• Interrogation led officers directly to East Kolkata, where local contact Muhammad Izaz was apprehended.

• The operation comes weeks after the STF detained suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed associate Hamim Mondal in Burdwan Town.

• Mondal's associates, Arpita Srakar and Aditya Singh alias Raj, were subsequently arrested from Jharkhand and Kolkata.

• Investigators unearthed connections to the Pakistan-based Shahzad Bhatti Network, which targeted state cabinet families.

Broader Terror Links

The operation follows a series of recent counter-terrorism actions across the state. On July 30, the STF apprehended suspected Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) associate Hamim Mondal from Burdwan Town in East Burdwan district. That same night, officers arrested his close associate, Arpita Srakar, from Sahibganj in neighbouring Jharkhand.

Earlier this month, sleuths arrested Mondal’s second aide, Aditya Singh alias Raj, from Kolkata, adjacent to Howrah district. Both Mondal and Srakar maintained parallel connections with the Shahzad Bhatti Network (SBN), a Pakistan-based terrorist-criminal syndicate.

Through Srakar, the SBN targeted family members of at least six current members of the West Bengal cabinet for honey-trapping and blackmailing operations. From Mondal’s possession, STF sleuths seized incriminating documents detailing the schedules and movements of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari. Further inquiries are underway to determine the complete scope of the duo's alleged network.