In a follow up to the joint nation-wide raids conducted by National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) last week against the Popular Front of India (PFI), another major operation was carried out, officials informed on Tuesday.
Raids were carried out against the outfit in alleged terror funding cases and recruiting youth for proscribed outfits. Investigating officers conducted operations across eight states in the country.
Operations were conducted at multiple locations in Assam, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, among others.
According to reports, the raids started last night and the central agencies were supported by the state police forces.
In Assam, officials carried out raids at Nagarbera in the Kamrup district and South Barpeta since last night during which several arrests were made.
Operations continued early today morning under the aegis of top Assam Police officials.
A total of eight PFI members were arrested during the raids. They were identified as Khurshwed Alom, Sahidul Islam, Ruhul Amin, Sadagar Ali, Salema Yasmita, Rafiqul Islam and Ashique Iqbal.
It has come to the fore that police took Darrang district president of PFI, Aanis Ahmed into custody from Dalgaon.
It may be noted that massive nation-wide raids were carried out by the NIA against PFI on September 22, during which over 100 leaders and workers were arrested.
Search operations were carried out at multiple locations in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and other states where the central probing agencies were supported by the state police forces.
In what was later dubbed as the “largest ever investigation till date”, searches took place at the premises of those alleged to have involvement in terror finding, organizing training camps, and radicalizing people join proscribed organizations.
On the same day, raids were also carried out at across Assam during which over 10 people having connections to PFI were arrested and taken into custody by the police. The arrests included those of several top leaders of the outfit.
Moreover, the special cell of Assam Police arrested two more PFI members that night from Karimganj and from the outskirts of Guwahati.
