By Bhupen Goswami

Guwahati : Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) is a threat to the nation, activities are spreading in many states. National Investigation Agency (NIA) Director General YC Modi said today that the organization has stepped up its activities in Assam, Odisha and Jharkhand and the NIA is investigating it.Modi said that the terror group is trying to expand its operations across India and the list of 125 suspects has been shared. Addressing a national conference organized by the NIA of the heads of the Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and Special Task Force (STF), Modi said that the Bangladesh-based organization spread its activities in states like Jharkhand, Bihar, Maharashtra, Karnataka and Kerala Have done Bangladeshi immigrants under cover.Inaugurated by National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, the event was attended by Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy and Nagaland Governor RN Ravi. Emphasizing a comprehensive approach to counter terrorism, Doval laid special emphasis on curbing the financing of terror.

However, he pointed out that this would only be possible through microscopic examination.we came to know that JMB is not only active in Assam, Odisha and Jharkhand, but is also spreading its activities in other states like Bihar, Karnataka, Kerala and Maharashtra. The NIA Director General said that a list of 125 suspected JMB members had already been circulated to the respective states.He said, ‘If the NIA had not investigated this case across India, these cases would not have come to light. Since the investigation of the state police is limited, the seriousness of the cases needs to be noted and such inputs should be shared with the NIA, to expose the larger conspiracy. NIA Inspector General Alok Mittal said that JMB has set up 20–22 bases in Bengaluru and has tried to expand its bases in South India from 2014 to 2018. He said that the organization had also tested rocket launchers in the Krishnag hills along the Karnataka border. And the Rohingya in Myanmar was planning to attack Buddhist temples to avenge the plight of Muslims.Referring to the Manipur missing weapons case, in which 569 mm pistols were stolen from the Manipur Police’s arsenal with 58 loaded magazines, Modi said arms were provided to the rebels in 2016. “After taking over the investigation of the case from the state police in June 2018, the NIA uncovered a major conspiracy behind the missing weapons. At least 12 people, including a sitting MLA, were arrested and 20 weapons were recovered in the case. Modi said that with the NIA headquarters in Delhi, Lucknow, Guwahati and Hyderabad, the work of agency officers has changed drastically. He said that an administrative office of the agency would be started soon in Raipur, Chhattisgarh.He said further investigations were on to recover other weapons.