By Express News Service
NEW DELHI/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/MANGALURU: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday carried out nationwide raids against terror funding suspects and detained nearly 100 PFI activists for allegedly supporting terrorists, officials said.
The raids, taking place mainly in South India, was termed by the NIA as the “largest ever” investigation process “till date”.
The NIA said the searches are taking place at the premises of people allegedly involved in terror funding, organising training camps, and radicalising people to join proscribed organisations.
According to the officials, nearly 100 activists, including the top leaders of the Popular Front of India (PFI), have been detained so far in the raids which are taking place in 10 states.
In a statement, the PFI said, “Raids are taking place at the homes of its national, state and local leaders. The state committee office is also being raided. We strongly protest the fascist regime’s moves to use agencies to silence dissenting voices.”
In Malappuram, the house of the national chairman OMA Salam at Manjeri and the organisation’s state headquarters in Kozhikode were raided. State committee member Yahiya Thangal was taken into custody from Thrissur, while an office-bearer of the Pathanamthitta district committee has also been detained.
The ED had earlier frozen the PFI accounts and a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was registered against the outfit in this regard. It’s not known whether the raids were conducted as a follow-up of the probe in that case.
As per the PFI sources, raids were held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, Malappuram, Thrissur, Kannur and Kozhikode districts.
Claiming that the raids were an act of state-sponsored terrorism PFI state secretary A Abdul Sathar said, “The raids are being held at the residences of the national, state and local leaders. The state head office was also raided. Strong protests should come up against the Fascist government’s act of using its agencies to stifle dissenting voices.”
The NIA sleuths raided the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) office amid tight security. The sources from the intelligence said that the raid is mostly related to a case in Bihar where a few SDPI leaders including Riyaz Farangipete have been accused of conspiracy to disrupt Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally. However the same is yet to be confirmed.
Karnataka Police detained PFI and SDPI workers protesting against NIA raid in Mangaluru https://t.co/UB1PMTkP82 pic.twitter.com/70Fy4BQZOc
— ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2022
Meanwhile Mangaluru city police commissioner N Shashi Kumar said several SDPI and PFI activists who were protesting have been taken into custody.
A few SDPI and PFI members protested in front of the office and condemned the raid. They shouted slogans against the BJP government. Searches are being conducted in a few other places like Kavoor, Jokatte and Uppinangady also, sources said.
The NIA also conducted searches at eight places in the Madurai city area including Villapuram, Gomatipuram, and Kulamangalam.
Tamil Nadu | NIA is conducting searches at 8 places in the Madurai city area including Villapuram, Gomatipuram, and Kulamangalam. pic.twitter.com/WxKihAMayW
— ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2022
(With inputs from agencies)
NEW DELHI/THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/MANGALURU: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday carried out nationwide raids against terror funding suspects and detained nearly 100 PFI activists for allegedly supporting terrorists, officials said.
The raids, taking place mainly in South India, was termed by the NIA as the “largest ever” investigation process “till date”.
The NIA said the searches are taking place at the premises of people allegedly involved in terror funding, organising training camps, and radicalising people to join proscribed organisations.
According to the officials, nearly 100 activists, including the top leaders of the Popular Front of India (PFI), have been detained so far in the raids which are taking place in 10 states.
In a statement, the PFI said, “Raids are taking place at the homes of its national, state and local leaders. The state committee office is also being raided. We strongly protest the fascist regime’s moves to use agencies to silence dissenting voices.”
In Malappuram, the house of the national chairman OMA Salam at Manjeri and the organisation’s state headquarters in Kozhikode were raided. State committee member Yahiya Thangal was taken into custody from Thrissur, while an office-bearer of the Pathanamthitta district committee has also been detained.
The ED had earlier frozen the PFI accounts and a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) was registered against the outfit in this regard. It’s not known whether the raids were conducted as a follow-up of the probe in that case.
As per the PFI sources, raids were held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, Malappuram, Thrissur, Kannur and Kozhikode districts.
Claiming that the raids were an act of state-sponsored terrorism PFI state secretary A Abdul Sathar said, “The raids are being held at the residences of the national, state and local leaders. The state head office was also raided. Strong protests should come up against the Fascist government’s act of using its agencies to stifle dissenting voices.”
The NIA sleuths raided the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) office amid tight security. The sources from the intelligence said that the raid is mostly related to a case in Bihar where a few SDPI leaders including Riyaz Farangipete have been accused of conspiracy to disrupt Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s rally. However the same is yet to be confirmed.
Karnataka Police detained PFI and SDPI workers protesting against NIA raid in Mangaluru https://t.co/UB1PMTkP82 pic.twitter.com/70Fy4BQZOc
— ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2022
Meanwhile Mangaluru city police commissioner N Shashi Kumar said several SDPI and PFI activists who were protesting have been taken into custody.
A few SDPI and PFI members protested in front of the office and condemned the raid. They shouted slogans against the BJP government. Searches are being conducted in a few other places like Kavoor, Jokatte and Uppinangady also, sources said.
The NIA also conducted searches at eight places in the Madurai city area including Villapuram, Gomatipuram, and Kulamangalam.
Tamil Nadu | NIA is conducting searches at 8 places in the Madurai city area including Villapuram, Gomatipuram, and Kulamangalam. pic.twitter.com/WxKihAMayW
— ANI (@ANI) September 22, 2022
(With inputs from agencies)
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