NIA raids on PFI members in 50 Kerala locations

KOCHI:

NIA

conducted simultaneous raids at over 50 locations in state targeting the homes of those who used to be leaders and workers of banned outfit Popular Front of India (

PFI

) between Wednesday night and Thursday morning . NIA sleuths took one person into custody from Edavanakkad in Ernakulam.
Agency has not issued a formal statement confirming any arrest or seizures. Sources said raids were held in 12 districts except Idukki and Kasaragod.
Raids were held in Kunjunnikkara, Uliyannoor, Edavanakkad, Muppathadam, Kakkanad and Muvattupuzha in Ernakulam. The house of a former state leader in Muvattupuzha and homes of the accused in the palm chopping case were also under the purview of the raids, sources said.
Raids were held at Thonnakkal, Vidura and

Pallikkal

in the state capital, Aanappara, Kulashekharapetta and Adoor in Pathanamthitta and Chakkuvally, Oachira and Karunagappally in Kollam.

Homes of state and district leaders were raided. Raids were held at Chavakkad and Kechery in Thrissur, Erattupetta and Kanjirapally in Kottayam. Also, there were raids at four locations in Alappuzha, Palakkad and Mannarkkad.
Five locations in Mananthavady and Sultan Bathery in Wayanad were raided along with seven locations in

Malappuram

and nine in Kannur. Four locations in

Kozhikode

were also raided. Mobiles, bags, booklets, pen drive, PFI uniforms were reportedly seized.
NIA had earlier conducted a statewide raid against PFI's main leaders before it was declared an unlawful association by the Centre. It had arrested many key leaders, who are now in judicial custody. The latest raid can be seen as NIA's effort to ensure that PFI's activities, including silent campaigns to rejuvenate the outfit in a different name, were disrupted in state.
In a recent report in court, NIA had revealed that a secret wing of PFI used to collect details of leaders of other communities. The report had said that digital devices containing financial transactions of PFI were also seized and an analysis was progressing. The latest raids will help NIA to know more about its financial sources. NIA said PFI had conspired to establish Islamic rule in India by committing terrorist acts as a part of a violent jihad.