DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Pakistan, Oct 12, (AP): Police caught up with the four Taleban militants about 15 minutes after they robbed the bank, shooting them dead on a bridge as they attempted to drive their loot to the safety of the border regions with Afghanistan.
The rare triumph against the insurgency in this dangerous part of Pakistan was short-lived —10 days later, the Taleban dispatched a husband-and-wife suicide unit to avenge the deaths, devastating the local police station and killing nine officers.
The daylight raid on the bank and the bombing in June were carried out by the “Black Night” group, a unit of the Pakistani Taleban dedicated to raising funds through robberies, kidnappings and extortion, according to a member of the group and intelligence officers.
The group’s emergence highlights a shift in militant funding inside Pakistan, with al-Qaeda, the Taleban and associated groups relying less on cash from abroad and more on crime to get money for equipment, weapons and the expenses associated with running an insurgency.
The development is partly a result of Pakistani and American successes in targeting Islamist extremists.
Greater scrutiny on money transfers means it is harder to send funds around the world, while American missile strikes and Pakistani army offensives have killed or sidelined many mid-to-top-level commanders who had links to Middle Eastern funding networks, said a counterterrorism official.
As a result, “the militants have issued an internal order telling followers to look for funds from internal sources,” said the counterterrorism official, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.
The “Black Night” group works under the command of Hakimullah Mehsud and Waliur Rehman Mehsud, the top leaders in the Pakistani Taleban, according to a member of the group who spoke to an Associated Press reporter by phone from an undisclosed location.
He said the group would continue to target wealthy Pakistanis, government officials and foreigners from non-Muslim countries for kidnappings. Banks were hit because they charged interest and therefore violated Islamic law, he said.
In Karachi, four bank robberies this year have netted $2.3 million, according to a community police organization. The Taleban are suspected in three of them.
“We are not fighting on that front line against the Pakistani army or NATO forces in Afghanistan, but we are contributing to the jihad through this way,” the militant said on condition that his real name not be used.
Police are not allowed to travel to the tribal-administered areas where the Pakistani Taleban and other militants are based. This status, dating back to British colonial times, means the area has long been attractive to criminals on the run or for those running criminal enterprises.
The robbers who raided the bank in Dera Ismail Khan were smartly dressed and appeared relaxed, striking just after midday. Waving guns, they bundled the employees and anyone on the street into the bathroom, then took $138,000 from the safe, stuffed it into bags and drove off.
Local police chief Zulfiqar Ali blamed the “Black Night” brigade for the robbery and subsequent attack on the police station, but insisted “morale was high” at the force.
“Even with very few resources we are prepared to give militants a tit-for-tat response,” he said.
More than 1,200 miles (2,000 kms) away in Karachi, the Taleban didn’t bring guns when they came knocking at the offices of a wealthy Pashtun property developer, but their intent was clear. The man, who didn’t give his name, said they demanded about $20,000.
“I couldn’t escape this situation. As a last resort, I asked them to decrease the amount they were demanding,” he said. “They didn’t bring any weapons when they came to my office the first time, but they can easily harm me and my business.”
Another wealthy Pashtun related how two men on a motorbike seized his 7-year-old child as he left school.