Kolkata, Jan 7 (IANS): The Special Task Force (STF) of Kolkata Police on Saturday arrested two persons with suspcted links to Islamic State (IS).

The two men, identified as Mohammad Saddam and Syed Ahmed, were arrested from over the second Hooghly Bridge connecting Kolkata with Howrah. They were moving on a bike when STF officers chased and arrested them.

The duo was presented before a lower court in Kolkata, which remanded them to STF custody till January 19. Confirming the arrests, Kolkata Police Commissioner Vineet Goyal said that further investigation in the matter is underway.

Sources in the city police said that one laptop and two mobile phones have been seized from their possession.

"We had got a tip-off that Saddam and Ahmed were going to attend a secret meeting in the Khidirpur area. After arresting the duo, the police also conducted search operations at their residences and recovered some debit cards and electronic evidence from there. Some jihadi contents were also recovered from the laptop seized from them," a police officer said.

He added that preliminary investigation has revealed that they were engaged mainly in brainwashing youths to join IS and also arrange for funds to spread their network in the state.

"Further investigation is on to identify their associates," the officer said.

Both Saddam and Ahmed are residents of Howrah district. Ahmed is a student of mechanical engineering at Aliah University. Both are known in their respective localities as well-mannered and soft-spoken.