Pathankot attack: EPCOT brand of shoes, batteries made in Pakistan found with terrorists

NEW DELHI: One of the six terrorists involved in the attack was wearing Pakistan's 'EPCOT' brand of shoes, investigators said, claiming the militants had come from Pakistan and were well equipped. The EPCOT brand is quite popular in Pakistan and is easily available in areas close to the border. The company was formerly known as East Pakistan Chrome Tannery.

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Investigators are now trying to piece together the journey of the four militants from the border to Pathankot after they killed a taxi driver and abducted the SP of Gurdaspur. Officials said after questioning jeweller Rajesh Verma, it appears that two of the terrorists, who were killed on Monday, had sneaked into the air base even before the other four reached Pathankot.

"His (Verma's) questioning revealed that one of the militants, during his conversation with his handler in Pakistan, was told that two terrorists are already inside the air base and they need to join them," said a senior official requesting anonymity.

NSG officials have confirmed to ET that they have found batteries that appear to be made in Pakistan and were brought here to make IEDs. Intelligence sources said terrorists had infiltrated into the Punjab border on December 31 midnight. "The four terrorists who came on December 31 were first housed at Masroor Bada Bhai village in Pakistan, barely a few km from the international border. The village has a training camp that is controlled by the LeT," said a senior counter-intelligence official.

Meanwhile, the NIA, took over the probe on Monday evening and registered three FIRs in connection with the attack. NIA will also examine the local support and the role of the drug network during its investigation.