Kolkata, India (BBN)-At least six accounts in four nationalised banks, spread over four districts of West Bengal, were used by the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), a jihadi group, to fund its module in the state, revealed an investigation by the Enforcement Directorate.
The accounts used by the jihadists were created in nationalised banks violating KYC rules, reports The Economic Times.
The banks, where the accounts were opened, include State Bank of India, Corporation Bank, Bank of Baroda and Oriental BankBSE -14.72 per cent of Commerce, and the branches were spread across Burdwan, Birbhum, Murshidabad and Kolkata.
The accounts were closed, or became inactive, immediately after National Investigating Agency (NIA) arrested the handlers of JMB.
The investigators have examined the bank officials and discrepancies were found in the KYC documents submitted by the JMB men.
“We have also examined a local person who used to forge pan cards for these operators. Significantly, some of these operators are Bangladeshi nationals, but they could open their accounts in banks,” said a person familiar with ith the matter.
In October last, a JMB module was busted in Bengal following a blast at an inconspicuous house in Burdwan district killing two men.
The case was handed over to the NIA for probing the crime angle while ED investigated the money trail.
The investigation also revealed that the accounts used to receive small deposits, about Rs 25,000 to 40,000 a week, and the money used to be withdrawn the same day by the account holders.
“It does not make sense that the account holder deposit the money and withdraw it the same day. The money used to be deposited by other people through NEFT. We have noticed several electronic transactions too. Small amounts used to be deposited as remuneration to bomb makers,” said an investigator.
BBN/SK/AD