The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) today arrested a suspected Lashkar-e-Toiba operative on Tuesday from the house of a retired Army constable in Malda and produced him before the Jangipur court, which remanded him to police custody for 14 days.

The district police are said to have received a tip-off three months ago about Mohammed Safikul, who has allegedly being recruiting youths into the terror outfit.

“Hailing from Bangladesh, Safikul had been recruiting youths into the LeT, besides helping terrorists sneak into India. He has also provided logistical support to terrorists,” said Siddinath Gupta, IG special operations, CID.

Investigations have revealed that Safikul had recruited several LeT agents in West Bengal, Bihar, Assam and Tripura. Police also suspect his links with Pakistan-based terrorists and the Mumbai terror strikes. Raids are going on in some places across the state to nab those recruited by him.

Police, however, refused to say much. “Since it is the CID which has arrested him, ask them. I cannot comment,” said Satyajit Banerjee, the district police superintendent.

Safikul was picked up from the house of Akhtar Haji, a former Army jawan, at Harishchandrapur in Malda. Haji, who was a driver in the Army, left it in 1992 and started his own business at Harishchandrapur.

After his arrest, Safikul was brought to CID headquarters at Bhawani Bhawan later in the day. A team of Mumbai police and police officers form some other states would interrogate Safikul for his possible links to other terror plots, a CID officer said.

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