NIA raids 5 locations in West Bengal to dismantle JMB sleeper cells
Synopsis
The NIA swept five locations across West Bengal on Tuesday, hunting for JMB sleeper cells after an Assam arrest cracked open a Bangladesh-based militant recruitment network. Coming just weeks after a separate JeM-linked spy ring was busted in the same state, Tuesday's raids suggest West Bengal has become a convergence point for multiple terror pipelines — and that central agencies are now acting on intelligence with unusual urgency.
Key Takeaways
The NIA conducted raids at 5 locations in West Bengal on 29 September 2026 , targeting Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) sleeper cells.
Locations raided include Diamond Harbour (South 24 Parganas), Harirampur (South Dinajpur), and two sites in East Burdwan .
The raids stem from an Assam-registered case ; a youth arrested in Assam last week confirmed an active JMB module in West Bengal.
JMB was reportedly working to create sleeper cells by radicalising youths from a specific community in the state.
In July 2026 , West Bengal's STF separately arrested Hamid Mondal , linked to both JeM and the Shahzad Bhatti Network , who was allegedly tracking CM Suvendu Adhikari's movements.
Mondal's associate Arpita Sarkar was also arrested for allegedly honey-trapping influential persons.
The National Investigation Agency (NIA) launched simultaneous raids and search operations at five locations across West Bengal on Tuesday, 29 September 2026, targeting suspected sleeper cells of the banned Bangladesh-based militant outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB). The operations, conducted since morning, are linked to an ongoing case registered in Assam and are based on specific intelligence gathered by central agency investigators.
Locations Under the Scanner
The five sites searched by NIA teams span multiple districts of West Bengal. These include Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas district, Harirampur in South Dinajpur district, and two locations in East Burdwan district. The geographic spread of the operations suggests investigators are probing a network rather than an isolated cell, according to sources familiar with the matter.
The Assam Arrest That Triggered the Raids
The current West Bengal operations trace back to the arrest of a youth in Assam last week on suspicion of militant activity. Interrogation confirmed he was an active member of JMB. He reportedly disclosed that a functioning JMB module was operating in West Bengal and that the outfit was actively working to recruit and radicalise youths from a particular community into its ranks. Documents seized from him provided the investigative thread that led the NIA to the five locations raided on Tuesday.
Broader Terror Network in West Bengal
Tuesday's raids come against a backdrop of escalating counter-terrorism activity in the state. In July 2026, the Special Task Force (STF) of the West Bengal Police arrested a youth identified as Hamid Mondal, who reportedly held links to both Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) and the Shahzad Bhatti Network (SBN) — a Pakistan-based terrorist-criminal outfit. Mondal had allegedly been living in West Bengal using fake Indian identity documents and was tasked with monitoring the movements of West Bengal Chief Minister Suvendu Adhikari, according to investigators.
Following Mondal's interrogation, the STF subsequently arrested several associates, including a young woman named Arpita Sarkar, who investigators say was deployed in honey-trapping influential individuals.
Why This Pattern Is Significant
The emergence of a JMB module in West Bengal is notably distinct from the JeM-SBN connection unearthed in July, pointing to multiple, concurrent terror pipelines operating in the state. JMB, which originated in Bangladesh, has historically sought to establish a pan-South Asian jihadist network. Its reported push to embed sleeper cells in Indian border states aligns with intelligence assessments that have flagged West Bengal's porous border with Bangladesh as a vulnerability. Notably, the fact that two separate central and state agencies — the NIA and the STF — have made significant counter-terrorism arrests in the state within the span of a few months underscores what security analysts describe as a heightened threat environment.
What Comes Next
The NIA has not issued an official statement on the number of persons detained or the specific material seized from Tuesday's searches. Investigators are expected to debrief persons found at the raided premises, and any leads could extend the operational sweep beyond the current five locations. The Assam-registered case is likely to see additional charge-sheets as the West Bengal evidence is processed.
Point of View
Triggered by a single Assam arrest, reveals how quickly a localised intelligence lead can expose a cross-border recruitment network — and how thinly the line between Bangladesh-origin militancy and Pakistan-linked terror has blurred in West Bengal. The JMB module operating independently of the JeM-SBN ring busted in July suggests not one but multiple sponsoring pipelines are active in the same geography simultaneously. What is missing from the public record is any account of state-level intelligence sharing: whether the West Bengal government was a partner in Tuesday's operations or a bystander. That gap matters enormously for long-term disruption of these networks.
NationPress
29 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is the NIA raiding locations in West Bengal?
The NIA is targeting suspected sleeper cells of the Bangladesh-based banned outfit Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) in West Bengal. The raids on 29 September 2026 are linked to an Assam case in which a recently arrested youth revealed that an active JMB module was recruiting and radicalising people in the state.
Which locations in West Bengal were raided by the NIA?
The five locations searched include Diamond Harbour in South 24 Parganas district, Harirampur in South Dinajpur district, and two sites in East Burdwan district. The spread indicates investigators are probing a wider network across the state.
What is Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB)?
JMB is a banned Bangladesh-based Islamist militant organisation that has historically sought to establish a jihadist network across South Asia. Indian security agencies have repeatedly flagged its attempts to set up sleeper cells in border states, particularly West Bengal.
How does this connect to earlier terror arrests in West Bengal?
In July 2026, the West Bengal STF arrested Hamid Mondal, who was allegedly linked to Jaish-e-Mohammed and the Pakistan-based Shahzad Bhatti Network, and was reportedly tracking the Chief Minister's movements. The JMB module now under investigation represents a separate but concurrent threat, pointing to multiple terror pipelines active in the state.
What happens after these NIA raids?
The NIA is expected to question persons found at the raided premises and process seized documents and devices. Leads could extend the sweep to additional locations, and new charge-sheets under the Assam-registered case are likely as evidence from West Bengal is analysed.
