The first big crackdown against the Popular Front of India (PFI) was over with no reports of any violence and tension, top government sources told CNN-News18, adding that the operation was managed successfully by the National Investigation Agency (NIA), Enforcement Directorate (ED) and different state police forces.
Sources also said that huge recoveries were made during the raids on Thursday morning and follow-up action would be initiated soon.
Nearly 105 people, including all top PFI leaders, were arrested following the raids in at least 100 locations across 13 states. All the arrested persons will be produced before different courts and transit will happen according to the law, sources added.
Bihar, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana were among the states that were raided. Sources further said that the Union Home Ministry was monitoring the entire crackdown.
Calling it the “largest ever investigation process till date”, sources in the NIA said that searches were conducted in the residential and official premises of people involved in terror funding, organising training camps and radicalising people to join proscribed organisations. Specific details on the cases, detentions and locations of these searches will be shared shortly, a source said.
According to the charge-sheet filed by the ED, PFI has formed District Executive Committee in UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and other places to raise funds. Targets are given to individuals to collect cash and transfer the same through Hawala or camouflaged as genuine business transactions.
The ED during investigation analysed more than 600 domestic contributors and their bank accounts and also looked at accounts of more than 2,600 beneficiaries. The agency has found that many of these accounts were bogus and people on ground were not found during physical verification, the agency stated.
One of the beneficiary of this money was Anshad Baseudeen. He was arrested by UP ATS with IED’s, pistol and live cartridges. PFI has transferred Rs. 3.5 lakh from the account of PFI. This shows PFI was involved in terror activities, the ED stated in the charge-sheet.
Baffled by the surprise raids, PFI general secretary A Abdul Sattar said, “The midnight raids in the houses of Popular Front leaders is the latest example of atrocities by the state.”
Earlier on Monday, the NIA had carried out searches at multiple locations in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. Over 40 locations linked to PFI were raided, following which four people were detained. Reports had stated that the NIA also seized incriminating materials, including digital devices, documents, two daggers, and cash worth over Rs 8 lakh.
According to the NIA sources, accused were organizing cadres that were imparting training and karate training. “PFI is involved in terrorist activities and action should be taken against them,” BJP leader Manoj Tiwari had said.
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