Held LeT men spoke to Pak handler recently

The interrogation of two suspected Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) operatives — Mohammad Isaq Mohammad Rashid Kumlakh and Mohammad Sharif Makkhandeen Thakker — has revealed that they last spoke to their Pakistan-based handler barely ten days before their arrest.

According to sources in the state Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), Kumlakh and Thakker were in touch with their Pakistani handler of LeT Abdul Kari until recently. “Phone details show that the last conversation between them and Kari had taken place ten days prior to their arrest,” said a source.

The officer said, “Kari wanted them to wrap up the indoctrination process soon and leave for Pakistan for terrorist training. Basically, they had spoken to finalise their visit to Pakistan for the training and the details which they had gathered about the oil installation in Maharashtra and from their colleagues in Rajasthan and Gujarat.”

The duo also told the police that Kari had asked Hafeez to help the duo sneak into Pakistan through Kashmir border. Hafeez is a Jammu and Kashmir-based handler and a top LeT functionary.

Meanwhile, the ATS officials on Thursday produced Thakker and Kumlakh before the Mazgaon court for their police remand. They have been remanded to police custody till December 7.