The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has arrested four members of the militant outfit Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya from Sylhet’s airport area.
Based on intelligence, they were arrested in an overnight operation on Monday, the RAB-9 said in a press conference on Tuesday.
Abdullah Maymoon alias Mumin, 34, shura member of the militant outfit, and its head of Dawati Branch were among the four arrested.
The other arrestees were Md Abu Zafar Tahan, 40, son of late Sheikh Abdus Salam Master of Faridpur, Md Aktar Kaji Sayeed, 38, son of late Mostafa Kazi of Chandpur’s Matlab North upazila, and Salahuddin Razzak Mollah, 32, son of late Abdur Razzak from Gopalganj's Muksedpur area.
During the raid, Tk 2 lakh in cash, electronic devices and important documents were seized from their possession.
RAB-9 Media Officer Afsan-Al-Alam disclosed the information at a press conference at the RAB-9 office around 11:30am on Tuesday.
He said the arrestees were all trained militants.
“They were trained by the separatist organisation Kuki-Chin National Front (KNF) – based in Chattogram Hill Tracts. They also have links with Ansar al-Islam.”
Afsan said, “Abdullah Maymoon used to collect money from different countries through innovative techniques and provide financial support for the weapons and training of new terrorist organisations. He also worked as a bridge between Ansar al-Islam and Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya.”
At the press conference, the battalion said four members of the militant outfit rented a house in the Barashala area of the Sylhet suburb a week ago.
The RAB-9 said Maymoon completed Dakhil from a local madrasa in Sylhet. He was attracted to extremism after watching online videos of Muslims being tortured in Palestine, Myanmar, Iraq and other places.
In 2013, he joined the Ansar al-Islam. He was also the Sylhet division head of Ansar al-Islam.
Maymoon was arrested in 2019 in an anti-terrorism case and spent a year in jail before going out on bail in 2020.
Later, when his bail was cancelled, he went into hiding. In 2021, through Shura members Ranbir and Manik, Maymoon joined Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya and went to the hills. Being the Sylhet divisional chief of Ansar al-Islam, he was appointed as the Shura member and head of the Dawati branch of the organisation.
RAB officials said that legal action is being taken against the arrested.
The Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) has so far arrested 68 members and leaders of Jama'atul Ansar Fil Hindal Sharqiya since its existence was known to RAB in 2022 while investigating the disappearance of eight youths in Cumilla.
At least 17 members of the KNF were also arrested for assisting the militants in training and other activities in the hills.
