NEW DELHI – Three Bangladeshi nationals were arrested by the city unit ofthe Maharashtra Anti-Terror Squad (ATS) on Saturday on suspicion of beingpart of an Al Qaeda-inspired Islamic extremist organization.

The trio, who had been apparently residing using forged identity papers,were believed to have links with the outlawed Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT)– the militant outfit also called as Ansar Bangla, said ATS sources.

“The suspects were picked up for questioning from the city’s Akurdi andWanowrie areas. They were residing illegally with forged Aadhaar and PANcards which were retrieved from their persons. We are interrogating them toascertain the nature of their association with the ABT, and their rolehere,” said an ATS officer.

Two of those nabbed hailed from Khulna, while the other came fromShariatpur district in Bangladesh.

The city ATS team led by Assistant Commissioner of Police (ATS) SunilDarekar acted on a tip-off received on Friday about an alleged‘infiltrator’ from Bangladesh living in the Kondhwa-Wanorie area.

On detaining and quizzing the suspect, the team secured information aboutthe whereabouts of the other two Bangladeshi nationals.