ISI activity in northeast under scanner

AGARTALA - Acting on tip-off from a central intelligence agency, police in Assam and Tripura are probing the activities of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) in the northeast, officials said here Wednesday.

According to officials, a team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) would arrive in Agartala soon to interrogate suspected ISI agent Manir Khan alias Omar Ashraf, 30, and his Indian associates. Manir and six of his associates were arrested here July 3.

“During questioning, Manir disclosed significant facts and future ISI plans in northeast and other parts of India. After his disclosures, a police team was sent to Guwahati (in Assam),” Deputy Superintendent of Police Harimohan Das told IANS.

Manir, according to police, entered India from Bangladesh and visited Guwahati and other cities of the northeast to broaden ISI’s network.

“Getting some clues from Manir, Assam Police arrested an ISI associate, Bikram Das, from Guwahati earlier this week,” Das said.

Another police official said that Manir, a Pakistani national, had received training in ISI camps at Multan and Bhawalpur in Pakistan.

A team of Punjab Police is also here to interrogate Manir, the official said.

“The Punjab Police team came here following arrest of some ISI operatives in that state,” the Tripura Police official said.

Meanwhile, Tripura Chief Minister Manik Sarkar told reporters here Wednesday: “To check infiltration from across the border, trans-border movement of militants, anti-India elements, the state government has been asking the centre to strengthen the vigil along the India-Bangladesh border.”

According to the chief minister, five more battalions of the Border Security Force (BSF) must be deployed along Tripura’s border with Bangladesh and the Mobile Task Force (MTF) should be strengthened.

The MTF, under the Tripura Police, is mandated to check infiltration from across the border and push back illegal entrants.

Last month, a court in Tripura had sentenced a Bangladeshi arms dealer and an ISI agent Mamun Mian, 49, to 10 years rigorous imprisonment.

The court found Mamun guilty of forging a voter’s identity card, a ration card, a PAN card, a driving licence and other documents.

Mamun was arrested in March 2008 for his involvement in anti-India activities and trafficking of arms and explosives.