Sources told the media that the investigators worked on a suspicion that some people were allegedly involved in organising terror camps.
New Delhi: In an overnight joint raid by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and the Enforcement Directorate across 10 states, the sleuths arrested around 100 persons linked with the Popular Front of India (PFI) over alleged involvement in terror funding. The raids were conducted at homes and officers of PFI’s district level leaders.
This, according to the officers of the agencies, was the “largest-ever investigation process till date”. Sources told the media that the investigators worked on a suspicion that some people were allegedly involved in organising terror camps and are encouraging youths to indulge in terrorist activities.
Reacting to the raids, the PFI, in a statement, said, “We strongly protest the fascist regime’s moves to use agencies to silence dissenting voices…(the) raids are taking place at the homes of its national, state and local leaders. The state committee office is also being raided.”
The multi-agency raid, sources said, was planned at least three months in advance but the government was silent about it. Revealing the modus operandi, a source told the media that a week before the raids, all the locations were verified and the targets were checked.
For locations that were in non-BJP states, the central agencies were given support of the CRPF. Once all the teams got a go ahead, the teams started the action.
Sources also revealed that top bosses of NIA, IB and NSA Ajit Doval reached the IB control room to oversee the operation.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Amit Shah chaired a meeting with officials on the raids by the NIA. Notably, on Monday, the NIA had carried out searches at multiple locations in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh and around 40 locations linked to PFI were raided. The agency had detained four persons.
