Kozhikode: The police have intensified non-conspicuous surveillance and heightened its silent stakeout around migrant labour camps in the state. This is in the wake of the arrest of two West Bengal natives from Kottakkal in Malappuram in connection with the Bodh Gaya blast case of January. (On January 19, the police recovered three improvised explosive devices with 5-10 kg explosives from the Buddhist shrine. Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama was visiting the place then).
The surveillance would be unobtrusive and non-intrusive to prevent spread of any panic. Also the police were being careful not to intimidate the larger crowd of peaceful workers who lived in subsistence-level shelters to eke out a living, district police chief, Malappuram, Prateesh Kumar said.
"We have already collected a lot of information and we are still collecting more details of migrant labourers entering the district. During checks and inspections, we take care not to spread panic as a lot of workers live here with families. We regularly check their dwellings and update such details on the software and e-rekha app, launched last year. We have a clear idea of where they stay and what they do. Putting out a conclusive figure is a challenge as the numbers keep changing every month," the officer said.
The two, Abdul Kareem and Mustafizur Rehman, both natives of West Bengal, were nabbed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) from Kottakkal. Sources said they were part of the Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), the terrorist outfit which was found to be behind the placing of IEDs in Bodh Gaya. The group was active in the border areas of India and Bangladesh.
