Pune Crime Crackdown: Illegal Bangladeshi Migrants Suspected of Supporting Al-Qaeda-Affiliated Terror Group

Pune: In 2018, the Pune unit of the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) apprehended five Bangladeshi infiltrators on charges related to forgery and sheltering members associated with the banned Islamic organization Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) hailing from Bangladesh. ABT is suspected to be a ‘front organization’ linked to the global terrorist group Al-Qaeda. On October 9, 2023, a Mumbai special court convicted two Bangladeshi nationals involved in this case, sentencing them to five years in prison.

During a late-night operation on March 16, 2018, in collaboration with Military Intelligence (Southern Command) and intelligence agencies, the Pune ATS unit apprehended three suspects: Mohammed Ropen Hossain, also known as Rubel, Mohammed Habibur Rehma Habib, also known as Raj Jesub Mandal, and Hannan Anwar Hussain Khan, alias Hannan Baburli Gazi. Mandal was detained in Wanwadi, while Rubel and Hannan Khan were apprehended in Akurdi. The three individuals were employed as laborers in Pune.

The ATS claimed that the suspects maintained regular communication with ABT terror outfit members and offered logistical support. They found Indian identity documents, such as Aadhaar, PAN, and voter cards, on the accused, which they had obtained by submitting counterfeit paperwork and impersonating themselves as Indian nationals at government agencies like the National Securities Depository Limited (NSDL) and the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI).

A case was registered against the trio under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), including forgery and criminal conspiracy. Additionally, they faced charges under the Passport Act, the Foreigners Act, and the stringent Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The ATS launched an investigation into an organized network involved in the illegal entry of Bangladeshis into India, aiding them in obtaining Indian identity documents and employment, mainly within the construction sector. The illegal migrants were allegedly being used for sheltering ABT terrorists.