MUZAFFARABAD, July 25: Police have arrested five people in Mirpur district for collecting donations for madressahs allegedly on fake receipt books, an official said on Monday. Those arrested were identified as Abdur Razzaq, Mohammad Azam and Mohammad Sarfraz (residents of Boorewala) Syed Imran (Bahawalpur) and Mohammad Farhad (Rawalpindi), SSP Mirpur Khalid Chauhan told Dawn by telephone.

The accused were booked under sections 419 and 420 of Azad Kashmir Penal Code. “We are collecting data on madressahs in our jurisdiction, particularly about their source of income, accommodation capacity and curriculum,” the SSP said, adding that in the second phase similar information would be compiled about mosques.

The Mirpur police raided a madressah in Dadyal early this month after receiving reports that some extremists were hiding there. But, no such person was found there.

“That raid came before the July 7 blasts in London. Now the situation has changed. We cannot take any risk and will have to take a swift action even on a slight suspicion,” the SSP said.

Mr Chauhan, however, acknowledged that the people were extending cooperation to police in carrying out their job. Answering a question, he denied that any national or international agency had contacted them to find out the alleged roots of the suspects of London blasts in Mirpur and its adjoining areas.