Bhatkal, B’luru raids were coordinated

Bengaluru: Input from a central intelligence agency woke Bengaluru police up a little after Wednesday midnight. Armed with names of suspects, location and what to expect at their hideouts, two police teams headed to Cox Town in Bengaluru and Bhatkal. An apartment complex in Cox Town was kept under surveillance even as a Central Crime Branch (CCB) headed to Bhatkal to raid the second hideout. The team, which reached Bhatkal in the afternoon, picked up the suspect from an undisclosed location and took him to his house where explosives were hidden. Both teams swooped down on the suspects around the same time. When police reached No. 423 on the third floor of the Cox Town apartment complex around 2pm, the two suspects were at home along with some relatives. The two men, living there for over a year in the guise of businessmen, were taken into custody. Police recovered a communication equipment that looked like a walkie-talkie. However, a detailed inspection showed it could be a satellite phone. In Bhatkal, cops found around 5kg of ammonium nitrate, 3kg gelatin gel, 3-4 timers and 10 electrical circuits. The team left for Bengaluru by road with the suspect. CCB officers believe the three Indian Mujahideen men were more involved in logistics rather than making or planting bombs. Police are also examining whether explosives used on Church Street were sourced from these hideouts. -TOI