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Cops mum over LeT's south Indian ops head's arrest in Dhaka

November 23, 2009 20:51 IST

Sleuths of the central agencies are tight lipped over the reported arrest of the Lashkar-e-Tayiba's south India commander and one of the most wanted terror operatives from Kerala, Thadiyantavida Naseer.

Naseer, who has been in the wanted list of the state police and in the central intelligence agencies was apprehended by the Bangladesh police with some accomplices for allegedly planning the bombing of the US consulate in Dhaka.

Though the state police and the agencies are not confirming the arrest officially, sources confirmed that the Naseer arrested in Dhaka is indeed the wanted fugitive Thadiyantavida Naseer.

Nasser is believed to be the motivator for the youths from Kerala who were shot dead by the Indian Army while they were trying to cross into Pakistan in Kashmir.

Sources in the state police also said Naseer is the kingpin in the LeT operations in the state and his arrest would provide valuable intelligence on the LeT's operations in south India.

Highly placed intelligence sources told rediff.com that Naseer had been in touch with Rana and Headley and was in the process of activating the 313 Brigade sleeper cells in the state. Another theory put forward by the central agencies is that the LeT and its operatives does not want to conduct a massive attack in Kerala as there is a theory going around in the terror outfit that Kerala is a safe haven for their clandestine operations and that the organization has done thorough ground work making contacts with a number of persons of use in spheres of influence in the state .

Arun Lakshman in Thiruvananthapuram