Police claim to have arrested four suspected “Neo JMB” operatives who supplied firearms and materials for making grenades for the Gulshan attack from Chapainawabganj border.

During interrogation, the arrestees said another “Neo JMB” member, Chhoto Mizan alias Tara, delivered the raw materials and firearms, including pistols, to the key planners of the July 1 Gulshan café siege -- Tamim Ahmed Chowdhury and Nurul Islam Marzan.

Tara had collected the arms and explosive-making materials from Chapainawabganj border through the four, according to DMP's official news portal Dmpnews.org.

Officials say that the arms and other materials came to Dhaka hidden in baskets of mangoes and other fruits.

Around 9:00pm on Wednesday, DMP's Counter Terrorism and Transnational Crime unit arrested the four in the capital's Darus Salam area.

They are Md Abu Taher, 37, Mizanur Rahman, 34, Md Selim Mia, 45, and Toufiqul Islam alias Doctor Toufiq, 32.

Police also seized a 9mm pistol and 787 detonators, the main ingredient of handmade grenades, from the four.

Officers suspect that the arrestees brought the detonators and the firearms as per the directives of the “current leadership of Neo JMB” to carry out subversive activities in the capital again, the DMP portal said.

From Indian bordering area, the arrestees used to smuggle firearms and the ingredients of handmade grenades. “Neo JMB” in recent attacks used those firearms and improvised grenades, according the post.    

The portal further wrote that Mizanur Rahman alias Boro Mizan, who leads Chapainawabganj district unit of “Neo JMB”, and Mizanur Rahman alias Chhoto Mizan alias Tara are the main recipients of the firearms and explosives from across the border.

In primary interrogation, investigators learnt that the arrestees are involved in smuggling arms and explosives through Bangladesh-India border in Shibganj upazila of Chapainawabganj.

A counterterrorism official said “Neo JMB” leadership in Bangladesh places demand for arms, ammunition and grenade-making materials to JMB men in India, who include some Bangladeshi militants hiding there.

The Indian group in league with some Indian criminals collects small arms and explosives and smuggles those to “Neo JMB” through Chapainawabganj border.

The arms and explosives then reach Dhaka, hidden in baskets of fruits.

“This was how the arms and grenade-making materials were supplied for the Gulshan attack,” Additional Deputy Commissioner Sanwar Hossain of the counterterrorism unit told The Daily Star yesterday, replying to a query.    

“We have already identified some Bangladeshi militants hiding in India. They were involved in collecting the arms and explosives,” he said but refused to disclose the names for the sake of investigation.

Earlier, police said two top “Neo JMB” leaders, involved in the April 23 murder of Prof Rezaul Karim Siddiquee, went to India months before the Gulshan siege possibly to ensure supply of firearms for the terror attack.

The two -- Mamunur Rashid Ripon alias Jahangir and Shariful Islam Khaled -- are still hiding in India, officials say.

ADC Sanwar said investigation found that the firearms and grenade-making materials used in the Gulshan café attack were smuggled in April.

On the night of July 1, militants seized the café and killed 20 hostages, including nine Italian, seven Japanese and one Indian citizen.

Two police officers were also killed by the attackers.

The over-12-hour siege ended after the launch of a commando operation in which five terrorists and a café chef were killed.

Another café staff arrested for his suspected link with the terrorists later died in a hospital. His family says he was in no way involved in militancy.

The authorities maintain that “Neo JMB”, an offshoot of the banned militant outfit Jama'atul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), carried out the attack.

JMB operatives, who became inactive after Saidur Rahman took over as the chief following Abdur Rahman's execution in 2007, formed the new group, inspired by the ideology of Islamic State. Law enforcers call it “Neo JMB”.

In the Gulshan siege case, police have arrested former North South University teacher Hasnat Karim, a survivor of the July 1 attack.

Officials at the counterterrorism unit said apart from the four arrested on Wednesday, three more “Neo JMB” operatives, including a key leader, were involved in the smuggling of the firearms and the explosive-making materials.

Investigators earlier said the AK-22s used in the Gulshan attack were first smuggled to Nepal from where those were carried to India before being sent to Dhaka through Chapainawabganj border.

Besides, the pistols were smuggled from Munger district of Bihar in India through the same border.

“Different explosive materials, including gel and detonators, were also smuggled through the Chapainawabganj border,” a top investigator had told The Daily Star earlier.