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Intelligence agencies apprehensive about security as relief pours in

As relief supplies continue to pour into quake-devastated Kutch, intelligence agencies fear that some anti-national elements may also enter this sensitive border area, which may be detrimental to the national security.

"So many teams are pouring into this area to help in relief work. There is a lot of cross-migration and it is almost impossible to keep a tab on everybody," intelligence sources said in Bhuj.

They said the situation provided the right opportunity for anti-national elements to enter the areas bordering Pakistan in the garb of a relief workers or even otherwise.

"Anti-national elements may use this opportunity to have a dry run or assimilate or create a base here," the sources said.

"Many people have been seen taking photographs at various places here," they said, adding, "One doesn't know who is who. At the moment, the entire focus of the security agencies is on relief operations."

On the possibility of some locals aiding anti-national activities, they said, "For the last three years, this area has been consecutively hit by some or the other natural calamity - cyclone in 1999, drought in 2000 and now the earthquake. This definitely has some impact on the people's mentality and behaviour."

The sources said the impact if any would be known only when the situation normalises, "But by then, it may be too late."

The Kutch region is known to be used for smuggling of weapons and explosives by agents of Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence. At least 48 kgs of high-grade explosives - RDX and PEK - have been recovered in two separate instances during the last two years and six Pakistani ISI agents arrested.

The six agents escaped during the chaos caused by the January 26 earthquake. While four of them were re-arrested while attempting to cross the border back into Pakistan, two of them, including their top leader Kasim Sultan alias Kaim Shah, are believed to have reached Pakistan.

The sources said the Indian government had eased visa restrictions to enable Pakistanis to meet their relatives in Kutch. "There is apprehension on this aspect also," they said.

Interestingly, they claimed that almost the entire staff of an intelligence agency had shifted out of Bhuj after the earthquake, causing a void in the intelligence network.

While all intelligence officials have shifted out of Khawda and Lakhpat, only two per cent are left in Bhuj, the sources claimed.

The Complete Coverage | List of earthquake sites

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