Arrested Al-Qaeda terrorist was on recruitment mission to foment Rohingya insurgency in Myanmar

Delhi Police special cell on Sunday arrested an Al Qaeda operative Shomon (Shauman) Haq from Vikas Marg area of the national capital.

According to the police, Shumon, a Briton came to India from Bangladesh to recruit people to espouse Rohingya insurgents in violence hit Myanmar.

He was planning to set up al-Qaeda's base in the northeastern state of Mizoram and Manipur.

"He came to India to set up base in Mizoram, Manipur & send people to Myanmar, basically espousing the cause of Rohingyas," P Kushwaha, DCP Delhi Police Special Cell said.

Police have recovered 4 cartridges, laptops, phones, Bangladeshi currency and a sim card from him.

"4 cartridges, laptops, phones, Taka, Bangladesh's sim card seized. He's a British citizen who came to Bangladesh to recruit ppl," DCP Special Cell said.

"He was associated with Al-Qaeda since 2013, had been to South Africa&Syria. In Bangladesh, he wanted to recruit&send ppl to Myanmar," the DCP added.

The arrest took place on Sunday evening, a day before Centre told SC that Rohingyas pose security threat to India.

Earlier on September 1, head of Al-Qaeda’s branch Ansar Gazawat-ul-Hind in Kashmir, Zakir Musa had threatened India in an audio message. He said that Al-Qaeda will liberate India from cow worshipping PM Modi and Hindus.

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“Narendra Modi the worshipper of cow, can gather as much might with his politics and diplomacy but won't be able to stop us. We will hoist the flag of Islam on Hind and we will have the Hindu rulers chained and dragged," Musa said.