Calcutta, Aug 18: Mohammed Zuber and Mohammed Sohail, the two youths caught while crossing over from Bangladesh, were “foot-soldiers” of ISI-backed militant outfits, not the “big catch” that police claimed they were after their arrest on August 14.

They served as key links and helped their high-profile associates involved in the September 2002 explosion at Swaminarayan Temple in Gujarat.

“This time too, they were sent to help associates who planned a large strike in the western part of the country,” CID sleuths interrogating the duo said.

“They were told to meet people in Calcutta who would take them to Mumbai. But they have no idea what they would do there,” said an officer.

The police had earlier said they were assigned to carry out suicide strikes using Calcutta as a transit point.

The CID, the Border Security Force and a Mumbai police team questioned the duo through the day.

CID officers conducted a series of raids in border areas, including Hingalgunj, Charalkhali and Samshernangar in North 24-Parganas’ Basirhat subdivision, to track down their accomplices.

The interrogation revealed that Zuber and Sohail used to communicate with other militants via email.

An officer said: “Both of them have studied up to class VIII and have no clear idea about computer operations except using emails or chatting on the Net. We have gone through their mail accounts and got some other addresses, which are being examined.”