New Delhi, Sep 22 (UNI) The National Investigation Agency (NIA), Enforcement Directorate (ED) and the State Police forces on Thursday conducted raids at multiple places across the country against suspected terror funding links and arrested 45 Popular Front of India (PFI) members, NIA said.
According to the NIA, raids were jointly conducted by the ED, NIA and the State Police forces across the country.
NIA carried out raids in 93 locations of 15 States of the country including Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Bihar, the NIA said in a statement.
These searches were conducted at the houses and offices of the top PFI leaders and members in connection with 5 cases registered by the NIA following continued inputs and evidence that the PFI leaders and cadres were allegedly involved in funding of terrorism and terrorist activities, organising training camps for providing armed training and radicalising people to join banned organisations, it stated.
A case was initially filed as FIR no 141/2022 on July 4, at Nizamabad Police Station in Telangana against over 25 PFI cadres, after Telangana Police found that the accused were allegedly organizing camps for imparting training to commit violent and terrorist acts.
A large number of criminal cases have been registered by different states over the last few years against the PFI and its leaders and members for their alleged involvement in many violent acts.
During the searches conducted on Thursday morning, incriminating documents, cash, sharp-edged weapons and a large number of digital devices were seized. As on date, the NIA has been investigating a total of 19 PFI related cases (including the 5 mentioned).
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