Crackdown on illegal immigration pushes overground terror operatives underground

New Delhi, April 18 (IANS) India has been facing the menace of illegal immigration for long. Migrants coming in illegally from Bangladesh and Myanmar have settled in various parts of the country, and the government, in its new policy, said that all states must detect and deport such persons.

The Intelligence agencies say that with such drives ongoing in the country, many illegal immigrants roped in by terror groups have been ordered to go underground. These persons were specifically sent to India to take part in terror activities. They have been instructed to remain underground and wait for further instructions.

These persons who have been told to stay off the radar were pushed into India to be part of terror cells. However, they operate differently. They blend into the migrant population and work as ordinary labour. Their brief is to explore places and gather information about sensitive locations they have been told about.

They have been asked to gather information not about the military or other sensitive departments. They are told to scan bus stands, railway stations and crowded markets. These persons who have now come under the scanner of the agencies are part of either the Harkat-ul-Jihadi Islami (HuJI) or the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). Both terror groups report to the ISI and have been tasked with handling operations in West Bengal, the northeastern states and certain parts of South India.

An official said that what is interesting is that these persons who come in as illegal immigrants and are tasked with carrying out attacks are normally housed in Kerala or Tamil Nadu. There are many camps which house Bengali-speaking people. These migrants blend in easily and stay part of this group.

Another official said that they maintain a very low profile and go about their work daily. Their job to undertake reconnaissance is not a daily chore. To avoid detection, they carry out such tasks just once a week or once every 15 days. Such acts are very hard for the Intelligence agencies to detect. When the reconnaissance activity is being undertaken, these persons normally go in a group. The group would mostly comprise people who are legally living in India. This, in fact, eliminates the risk of detection.

Officials say that these persons, who are tasked with gathering information, will not be asked to carry out the attack. For this, the HuJI and JMB have a select set of trained operatives who are yet to cross over. Once all the information is gathered, the plan is made, following which the trained operatives are sent in, the official added.

The agencies are currently noticing a pattern whereby many have gone underground. This has been done on the instructions of their handlers. The JMB had hoped to strike during the West Bengal elections. However, the scrutiny is too high at the moment, and multiple drives are ongoing to identify illegal immigrants.

Officials say that they are just waiting for the heat to reduce before they can resume their activities. Counterterrorism experts say that this is not just a problem. It is a ticking time bomb and could go on to become India’s biggest security headache if left unchecked.

As part of its new deportation policy, the Ministry of Home Affairs has told all states to form a Special Task Force in every district to detect and deport illegal migrants from Bangladesh and Myanmar. A nationwide verification drive targeted at the border states is also underway to identify and deport illegal immigrants. Over 4,000 have been identified and deported as part of this drive.

--IANS