Terror groups infuse brainy blood into sleeper cells

KOLKATA: Terrorists and banned extremist groups are no more the sole headaches of anti-terrorist squads and special operations groups of police departments in eastern and north-eastern states.

Rather, their main headache of late has been sleeper cells, whose members, though not directly involved in terror acts, form the information backbone of underground subversive outfits.

An IB (Intelligence Bureau) review reveals that in the recent past, most banned terror groups have overhauled their sleeper cells to bring in educated youth who do not have police records.

According to top IB sources, information exchange by the bureau revealed that the phenomenon was common in all eastern and north-eastern states.

The sources said, apart from overhauling sleeper cells, banned outfits had made them more broad-based to place moles in various institutions so far untouched.

“We have specific information that these groups have agents in schools, colleges, universities, hospitals, courts, clubs, hotels and big recreational centres, among other
places,” a senior IB officer said.

The agents are a wide variety of personnel from medical and engineering students, NGO workers, hotel and club employees and teachers to court clerks.

The IB officer said none of them has a criminal background and banned outfits do not involve them in their day-to-day operations. “Their job is to update terror groups on the developments in their respective areas of operation and residence. While some sleeper cell members share ideology with banned outfits, a majority does the job for money,” he said.

The police network, on the other hand, still relies on traditional methods. Worse, many of their existing sources have been killed by underground groups or have voluntarily disassociated themselves fearing threat to life.

c_sumanta@dnaindia.net