Bengaluru Cafe Blast: How Money Trail Helped NIA Track Suspects In Bengal

Bengaluru: A month-long manhunt in Bengaluru's Rameshwaram Cafe blast case concluded on April 12 after the National Investigation Agency (NIA) nabbed the prime accused from West Bengal, prudently tracking to their hideouts in Kolkata. 

Besides CCTV footages and Artificial Intelligence, the anti-terror agency launched the manhunt based on money trail established in the case. The two accused- Mussavir Hussain Shazib and Abdul Matheen Taha, were staying in a lodge near Kolkata using fake identities, claimed the agency. 

The blast at Rameshwaram Cafe injured at least nine people on March 1. The NIA claimed that Shazib planted the explosive device, packed inside a backpack, at the cafe, while mastermind Taahaa was responsible for planning the attack. 

How Money Trail Helped NIA?  

The anti-terror agency that already detained two suspects in the case before arresting the prime accused spotted suspicious bank account transfers to Kolkata. 

During the initial probe, NIA found that a handler in Bengaluru transferred money to both the suspects after they were financially exhausted in their month-long bid to evade arrest. 

Based on an intelligence report, NIA traced the bank account used by the suspects to Kolkata based on the transactions made by the handler in Bengaluru.  

In subsequent action, the anti-terror agency camped in Kolkata and collected details of the accused staying at lodge using fake identities. Of the two suspects, one used fake identity card of a person hailing from Karnataka's Kalaburagi. 

After their arrest, a NIA special court granted a three-day transit remand of the two accused to the NIA later on Friday.

Last month, the NIA declared reward of Rs 10 lakh each for those providing lead to the arrest of the two suspects.