Kochi, Saturday, November 21, 2009: Giving fresh clues to the visit of terror suspect Lashkar-e-Taiba activists David Coleman Headley and Tahawwur Rana, in Kochi.

Director General of Police Jacob Punnoose informed that, the accomplice of Rana, had not visited Kochi, DGP also said, Rana’s visit was more that business purposes and the police are investigating the visit separately.

Jacob Punnoose said, the state police will co-operate with National Investigative Agencies with the ongoing investigations.
Police have already shared the available information with NIA.
DGP also refused to divulge further details of the investigations.

The shocking tale of terror came to light when Tahawur Hussain Rana, was arrested in the United States along with terror operative David Headley by the Federal Bureau of Investigation last month, had visited Kochi on November 16 and had stayed in Taj Residency (now named Gateway) for a day.

The Central Intelligence Agency has gathered details of Rana’s stay in Kochi and has found that he had been in town on a recruitment mission named ‘Talent spotting’.

Intelligence sleuths confirmed to rediff.com that Rana had stayed in the hotel along with his wife Samraz Akthar.

According to sources, Rana was in the port city under the pretext of recruiting for an immigration agency First World Immigration Services, while the actual purpose was to recruit potential terrorists.

Rana was recruitment process was funded by the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and was aimed at getting in touch with youngsters in cities who would be made part of new sleeper cells.

Rana, according to the agencies, had even advertised the recruitment in leading newspapers in Kochi, saying the firm would provide visas to US and Canada on a “limited time money-back guarantee” scheme.

He had released the advertisement through Mumbai-based Prachar agency and had given an email address for contact: immigration@ameritech.net.