Mangalore: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Wednesday launched raids at about 25 locations in Karnataka, Kerala and Bihar in connection with the busting of the alleged Popular Front of India (PFI) terror module in Bihar's Phulwari Sharif last year, sources said. It is learnt that sleuths of NIA assisted by the local police launched the raids at at least 25 locations in the three states and started searches.
In Karnataka, the NIA officials raided many houses, offices and a hospital at Bantwala, Belthangadi, Uppinangadi and Venur in Mangalore district. During the searches, the NIA found many digital evidences and records of transactions worth crores of rupees, sources said. Similar raids were conducted in Kerala and Bihar conducted in connection with the busting of an alleged terror module of the PFI at Phulwari Sharif in Bihar.
Also read: NIA detains 3 terror suspects linked to PFI in Bihar's Motihari
The case was registered on July 12, 2022, at Phulwari Sharif Police Station. The NIA later took over the investigation and re-registered the case on July 22 last year. In Jan. this year, the NIA had filed a chargesheet against four accused in the case on January 7 this year. Over a dozen accused have been arrested by the NIA in the case.
The NIA has said that the accused, allegedly associated with the banned PFI, received hawala money originating from Gulf countries for terrorist activities and carry out terror acts in the country. The accused have also been accused of planning to sabotage Prime Minister Modi's visit to Bihar last year. Recently, NIA arrested a few accused during raids conducted in Bantwala and Puttur in connection with the case.
On Feb. 4-5 this year, the NIA searched eight locations in Bihar's Motihari and arrested two people identified as Tanveer Raza alias Barkati and Md Abid alias Aryan who had allegedly arranged weapons and ammunition to carry out killings. The NIA then said that the accused had conducted a recce to execute a target and that the arms and ammunition had been handed over to a PFI Trainer, Yakoob, who had been conducting training sessions for PFI cadres.
Yakoob had allegedly posted a derogatory and inflammatory Facebook video post recently, which was aimed at disturbing peace and communal harmony, the NIA said. With the earlier arrests, the NIA had said a PFI module planning targeted killing and disrupting communal harmony has been unearthed and busted.
