6 held in Kolkata with illegal arms following arrests of al-Qaeda operatives

The Kolkata Police held six people with illegal arms from different parts of the city following the arrest of al-Qaeda operatives by the National Investigation Agency, a senior officer said on Sunday.

The police also held 74 more people against whom non-bailable warrants were pending, he said.

According to the officer, the city police apprehended 47 more people on specific charges and 42 others as preventive measure.

The block raids were conducted between 9 pm on Saturday and 1 am on Sunday in different parts of the city, following the arrest of nine al-Qaeda terrorists in West Bengal and Kerala, the officer said.

Foiling an attempt by the internationally banned terror group to set up a base in India, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) swooped on its cadres in the two states and arrested nine of them.

Acting on a tip-off provided by central intelligence agencies, the NIA, with the help of the state police forces, carried out raids in the intervening night of September 18 and 19 at Ernakulam in Kerala and Murshidabad in West Bengal, and arrested the nine men.

Those arrested from Kerala are also originally residents of West Bengal.

During the raids in the eastern metropolis, police seized 511 litres of illegal liquor, the officer said.

The Kolkata Police registered 64 cases of rash driving during the period and seized 10 vehicles, while 158 challans were issued for violation of motor vehicle rules.

At least 1,070 cases were registered for riding two-wheelers without helmets, the officer added.