Hyderabad, May 01: Security has been beefed up in the city following intelligence inputs about a possible terror attack, police said.
The police began frisking operations in various areas this evening particularly in Begam Bazar, Osmangunj, Madina, Mozamjahi Market and Mangalhat localities in old city.
“We have taken up general preventive measures and security has been tightened to check criminals or traffic violators, ” City Police Commissioner A K Khan told PTI.
According to sources, intelligence agencies last week intercepted and recorded a telephone conversation that originated in the Gulf and was made to a person in India. The caller from the Gulf said: “Yaar, kharcha karo; Rafiq yaar jaldi kharcha karo, (Spend it; Rafiq, spend it fast).” The reply of Rafiq, the person based in India was: “Jagah dhoond raha hoon. Mouka Mauque ki talaash mein hoon. Halaat theek nahin hain (Looking for a place; waiting for an opportunity; the situation is not good).”
According to sources, the intelligence agencies are sure that this is a conversation between a terrorist and his handler in India and that the Gulf caller was checking as to why the act of terror was not carried out yet.
Further examination of the conversation has led the sleuths in the AP police to conclude that Hyderabad could very well be the target. “Central intelligence agencies too have alerted us that our state capital could be the potential target. Hence, the stepped-up vigil for the last week,” said a senior official.
Sources said the officials believe that the caller is using code words for carrying out a terror strike in India. They said the term “kharcha karo” refers to the explosive material that person in India has with him. “He is being asked to hurry up in using it,” they said.
Apparently, there is a sense of urgency in the caller’s voice while the receiver appears concerned. “The caller’s accent of Hindi/Urdu does not appear Indian. Similar appears to be the case with the style of talking of the receiver,” the sources said.
Conventionally, terrorist organisations such as Lashkar-e-Taiba use common words as codes for the assignments they give through phones and emails and SMS so as to hoodwink the interceptors. Police officials here believe that there are several sleeper cells of LeT lying low in the state and that this could be one of them waiting for an opportunity to strike.
Acting on the apprehension that the strike could be aimed at a public place, the city police have gone into an overdrive and carrying out security checks at railway stations, markets, shopping malls and other public places. Three private establishments were given a serious warning for lax security detected by surprise security checks by the cops on Friday.
Police sources said the extra vigil including checks of vehicles at major traffic intersections as well as alert at the public places will continue for the next three to four days at least. Special teams have also been constituted to track down the location of the handler suspected to be holed up somewhere in the city.
“It may turn out to be a heightened exercise. But it is better to be vigilant now than to regret later,” said a senior official. According to sources, some of the suspects rounded up after the Mecca Masjid blast and twin blasts at Lumbini Park and Gokul Chat in 2007 will also be put on the watch and questioned if need be. “We are aware that the masjid blast took place on May 18, 2007. We are fully prepared for any strike,” the official added.
-Agencies