Guwahati: Another significant operation was carried out, according to officials, as a follow-up to the joint nationwide raids on the Popular Front of India (PFI) last week that were conducted by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED).
Raids were conducted against the group in relation to allegations of sponsoring terrorism and kidnapping minors for organisations that are prohibited. Eight different states in the nation saw operations by the investigating officers.
Numerous places, including Assam, Delhi, and Uttar Pradesh, were used for operations.
According to accounts, the raids began last night, with the state police forces assisting the central agency.
Since previous night, authorities in Assam have conducted operations at South Barpeta and Nagarbera in the Kamrup district, during which multiple arrests have been made.
Under the direction of senior Assam Police personnel, operations continued this morning early.
Eight PFI members in all were detained during the operation. They were identified as Khurshwed Alom, Sahidul Islam, Ruhul Amin, Sadagar Ali, Salema Yasmita, Rafiqul Islam and Ashique Iqbal.
It has come to light that Aanis Ahmed, the PFI district president for Darrang, was detained by Dalgaon police.
On September 22, the NIA conducted extensive nationwide searches against PFI, during which more than 100 leaders and employees were detained.
In Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and other states where the central investigating agencies were assisted by the state police forces, search operations were conducted in numerous locations.
In what was later referred to as the “biggest ever investigation to date,” searches were conducted at the homes of persons who were allegedly involved in recruiting radicalised individuals to join banned organisations, setting up training camps, and locating potential terrorists.
During the same day’s raids, which took place all over Assam, the police detained and arrested around ten individuals with ties to PFI. Several of the organization’s top executives were detained as part of the arrests.
The Assam Police’s special cell also detained two further PFI members that evening in Karimganj and on the outskirts of Guwahati.