How terror travels to India in a bus

The "red paint" of terrorism is getting darker by the day in India.

Vicky Nanjappa in Bengaluru | April 02, 2009 15:07 IST

The arrest of Rashid Malabari[Additional: D-Company coaxed Malabari to kill Varun]may have opened a can of worms. But what is more startling is how this man managed to slip into India despite a red corner alert by the Interpol against him.

Investigating officials firmly believe that this man could have used the Nepal route to enter into India. It may be noted that Nepal is the favourit route for both members of the D Gang as well as dreaded Lashkar-e-Tayiba terrorists. In fact, all it takes is just Rs 5,000 to cross over from Nepal into India.

Sources told rediff.com that the Nepal route is preferred by terrorists since the ISI has a well-organised syndicate there.

Sabahuddin, an accused in the Mumbai attack who was also the chief of operations for the LeT in Nepal, too confirmed this during his interrogation.

Once the green signal is given by the LeT or chiefs of the D gang, the operatives fly into Doha from Lahore on a fake passport. A member of the terror outfit is usually accompanied by an ISI member. In Sabahuddin's case, it was a man by the name Major Doggar.

In Doha, the operative needs to wait three more hours before boarding the flight to Kathmandu. The entire process is monitored by the ISI, Sabahuddin adds.

This is, however, the last time that these operatives are asked to contact the ISI. They are instructed never to contact the ISI in future as it could prove to be dangerous.

Once in Kathmandu, these operatives are directed to destroy the Pakistani passport and then flush it down the toilet. Then, they are instructed to mail their higher ups using coded language.

After staying over in Kathmandu for a day, they are asked to meet a local person at a particular location. A cash payment of Rs 5,000 is made to this person, who in turn helps these operatives cross over to India on a motorcycle. The person who helps them cross the border ensures that the operative has boarded a bus and only then leaves the place.

The bus journey is most preferred by both terror and underworld operatives once within India. They are asked to destroy anything that they possess that is even remotely related to Pakistan and asked only to use the bus since there is hardly any checking while boarding a bus.

Additional:

ISI's links with Haqqani, Hekmatyar a matter of concern: US
4 Apr 2009, 1434 hrs IST, PTI

WASHINGTON: United States has said it was concerned about the ISI's contacts with the extremist groups including those led by Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and the Haqqani network.

"The ISI's contacts with some of these extremist groups — with Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, Haqqani network, Commander Nazir and others — are a real concern to us, and we have made these concerns known directly to the Pakistanis," Defence Secretary Robert Gates said in an interview to Afghan TV.

While top officials of the Obama Administration have now started publicly acknowledging the connection between ISI and extremist networks, this is possibly for the first time in recent times that the Defence Secretary has himself named the terrorist groups that have links with the ISI.

According to transcripts of the interview made available by Department of defence, Gates hoped that the Pakistani establishment would put an end to this nexus between ISI and extremist groups.

In response to a question, Gates said the US would continue with its drone attacks.

"The President has made clear that we will go after al-Qaida and their planning cells and their training centers, wherever they are in the world," he said.

From Jihad Watch

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