Credible information, developed over the last few months by field operatives of Central intelligence agencies in the Northeast, Bangladesh and Burma has confirmed that Ulfa top commander Paresh Baruah is now using his terror network to smuggle narcotics into India.
A highly classified report prepared by intelligence agencies, details of which have been accessed by this newspaper, states, “The Ulfa is not only helping drug cartels use India as a transit point but also pumping narcotics into the country for local consumption.’’
The report further reveals that the terror outfit is using its formidable network in the Northeast for narcotic smuggling as it has yielded them high returns. The Ulfa has been taking both money and arms in return for helping the drug syndicates.
“As India is an important transit point in the Golden Triangle of narcotic smuggling, involvement of terror groups in India in this business is an extremely dangerous trend,” adds the report that has recently been circulated among New Delhi’s top security and intelligence establishments.
Sources said the Ulfa is a late entrant into narcotic trade as a section of the outfit had earlier been opposing it but Baruah then insisted since the outfit is now believed to be suffering a severe resource crunch. Baruah, sources added, who is now believed to be shuttling between Burma and Bangladesh, saw narcotic smuggling as a quick and easy way to rake in money to fund his terror machinery.
Baruah and his trusted aides, the report adds, are being helped by two important ISI agents, Khwaja Sultan Malik and Qalil Ahmed, who are operating out of Bangladesh. Both Malik and Ahmed also have close links with drug cartels in Southeast Asia who are smuggling narcotics into India through the porous Indo-Bangladesh border with the Ulfa’s help.
The report states: “In return, these drug cartels are helping the Ulfa with transportation of arms and ammunition being smuggled from China using the sea route. The arms are shipped to Cox’s Bazar and then transported to Ulfa hideouts in Bangladesh.”
“Though we not able to asses the quantum of this illegal trade but it has to be a whopping amount running into crores. We have already asked the concerned agencies to step up vigil along the border since the report also indicates that Ulfa now is desperate to generate additional revenue,” a senior intelligence official said.