Guwahati: The Popular Front of India (PFI) on Thursday was the target of extensive searches by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which resulted in the arrest of over 100 PFI members and associates nationwide.
The central investigating agencies were assisted by the state police forces in search activities in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and other states.
Arrests have been made so far in the major operation in more than ten states. The Union home ministry reportedly keeps a close eye on the operations.
Searches are being conducted at the homes of those who are allegedly involved in identifying terrorists, setting up training camps, and radicalising people to join banned organisations as part of what is being referred to as the “biggest ever investigation to date.”
The PFI-related individuals’ official and private residences are the sites of the searches. With help from the ED, more than 200 NIA employees conducted the raids.
In addition to several other locations, arrests have been made in Guwahati, Lucknow, Mangaluru, and Malappuram. Since midnight, raids have been taking place at OMA Salem, the PFI chairmanhome ,’s in the Manjeri district of Malappuram. PFI employees in Malappuram organised protests in front of OMA Salem’s home.
PFI state general secretary A Abdul Sattar stated that “NIA and ED conducted raids at several PFI offices. Raids are taking place at the leader’s home as well as 50 other places.
He continued, “The midnight raid by central agencies NIA and ED at the homes of popular front leaders in the state is the latest example of crimes. The homes of officials at the federal, state, and municipal levels are the targets of the raids. Additionally, the state committee office is being searched. Protest vehemently the actions taken by the fascist government to stifle critics.
Raids on PFI and SDPI-related locations have also begun in Madurai, Theni, Dindigul, Ramanathapuram, Cuddalore, Thirunelveli, and Tenkasi.
Moreover, the NIA is questioning the PFI Cuddalore district head Pyaz Ahmed and the Madurai district secretary Yasser Arafat.
It should be noted that over a dozen cases involving PFI links were reported to the NIA in the most recent few days. More than 100 locations throughout the country have lately been searched by the NIA in relation to the PFI links.
On September 18, the central investigating agency searched a number of locations in various Andhra Pradesh districts, and PFI members were detained for questioning on inciting violence and illegal activity.
A man was given a notice to appear at the NIA headquarters in Hyderabad after officials conducted a raid on a home in Telangana’s Nizamabad district. In the state’s Nizamabad, Kurnool, Guntur, and Nellore districts, up to 23 teams of NIA agents searched at once.