KUALA LUMPUR – A Malaysia-based Rohingya outfit alleged to have financial ties with controversial preacher Zakir Naik has plans to launch terror attacks in India, reported The Times of India.
It said Indian intelligence intercepted crucial financial transactions between the group, Rohingya leader Mohammed Naseer and Zakir, with the group believed to be at an advanced stage of orchestrating strikes in various parts of India.
“The intelligence suggests that a group, led by a woman trained in Myanmar, may attempt a strike in an Indian city in the next few weeks.
“Late on Friday, the intelligence establishment alerted police and the state intelligence bureaus of Delhi, Haryana, UP (Uttar Pradesh), Bihar and West Bengal to step up surveillance,” it quoted a source as saying.
Citing an intelligence document, the report said several transactions between India and Malaysia, involving a sum of about US$200,000 (RM810,300), have been traced to Naseer, who is based here, and Zakir.
It said a suspect based in Chennai, believed to be a “hawala” (money-transfer dealer), has received part of the funds.
“Digging deeper, the sleuths were able to deduce that a group was to infiltrate India in mid- or end-December, through Bangladesh.
“The origin, or any identity-related details, of the woman who supposedly trained in Myanmar for this strike is unclear, but it is suspected that she was sent to Myanmar from Malaysia early this year,” said the source.
Indian intelligence said attacks were also planned in several other cities and states, namely Ayodhya, Bodhgaya, Srinagar and Punjab.
It is learnt that intelligence authorities are trying to determine if a Rohingya militant group that came under the spotlight last year for raising funds for Rohingya refugees in Malaysia is involved in the current set of transfers.
The Vibes is attempting to get comments from the Home Ministry and inspector-general of police on this development.
The Mumbai-born Zakir has been wanted by Indian authorities since 2016 on charges of money laundering and inciting extremism through hate speech.
He was granted permanent residency in Malaysia before that, and is understood to be living in the country. – The Vibes, December 13, 2020
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