The recent arrests of two militants of Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) — a banned militant outfit — by the special task force of the state police has revealed the outfit’s plan to try and accumulate funds from the business fraternity of north Bengal and procure firearms with the money.
Last month, two militants were arrested by the special task force from different locations of the Siliguri subdivision.
As police started probing their involvement with the outfit, it was found that the duo were asked by self-styled leaders of the outfit to target the local business community and collect money from them through extortion and abduction.
“Back in the 1990s, the KLO had adopted a similar strategy to threaten businessmen so that money could be extorted from them. Also, there had been a number of incidents of abduction and killing for ransom. It seems that this outfit is currently in need of funds and has thus drawn up a similar plan again,” said a source of a state intelligence agency.
The state police have also come to know that along with arrested duo Abinash Roy and Mrinal Barman, the KLO has engaged another five to seven youths in north Bengal to gather funds.
“Our officers are in search of them. All of them are from north Bengal. We have also learnt that they also have plans to procure arms and ammunition from the illegal arms rackets active in neighbouring Bihar to carry out their activities,” the source added.
In north Bengal, most of the former KLO militants who had joined the outfit in the 1990s have returned to the mainstream and hundreds of them have been engaged as home guards by the state government.
During investigation, the police have found that the outfit was trying to use technology to impart training among its new recruits.
“There is information that some KLO leaders are providing online training to some youths who have recently joined the outfit. It seems to be a part of the plan to develop new modules in north Bengal and resume the activities here,” said a retired police officer who has worked in the region.
