Malappuram: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday launched simultaneous raids at several houses and offices in four districts across the state over alleged links with the banned Popular Front of India.
A total of 12 locations in Malappuram, Wayanad, Thrissur and Ernakulam are being raided, Manorama News reported.
The search has been initiated to identify the financial transactions of the alleged PFI members amid reports on terror funding.
Houses and various centres belonging to PFI members are being raided based on the report from NIA, say sources.
A team of ED officials, accompanied by Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) personnel launched the raids around 6 am. The search is also underway at PFI state leader Latheef Pokkathillam's house at Chavakkad in Thrissur district. NIA had also raided his house. As per the intelligence sources, Latheef has escaped to Saudi Arabia.
Apart from Latheef, ED also raided houses of Abdul Samad in Wayanad, Abdul Jameel and Noorul Amin in Malappuram.
ED raids are focused on finding evidence that could prove PFI leaders' links to hawala money transactions as well as terror funding, Manorama News reported.
It is suspected that funds worth crores of rupees were transferred to the bank accounts of the PFI leaders from abroad for carrying out terror plots, Manorama News reported.
In Wayanad, the central agency raided the house of Poozhithara Abdul Samad, a former state council member of PFI at Chettappalam in Mananthavadi. He has been under the radar of the security agencies for many years. Earlier, the revenue department had initiated action to confiscate his property.
Abdul Samad and his family had relocated to Kushal Nagar in Karnataka. At present, his relatives are occupying his house.
On September 28, 2022, the Central government banned PFI and associated outfits for five years for 'unlawful activities'. Several PFI leaders were arrested following a nationwide crackdown called Operation Octopus.
