Kerala: NIA raids residences of former PFI members in Malappuram

On Sunday (13 August), the National Investigation Agency (NIA) carried out raids at various locations in Kerala’s Malappuram district. The raids were being held at four residences of former members of the banned Islamist terror outfit, Popular Front of India (PFI) in the Tirur and Tanur areas of Malappuram district. 

The locations raided include the residences of these four ex-PFI ‘activists,’ namely Vengara native Hamsa, Tirur native Yahutty, Tanur native Haneefa, and Rangattoor native Jaffar. As per media reports, the local Malappuram district police were informed just before the commencement of the raids. 

The raids began early in the morning and were held simultaneously, in a bid to prevent any untoward incidents in the event of any potential information leakage and eliminate the chance of any member or their sympathisers alerting other members of the outfit during the operation.   

Earlier, the NIA teams raided and sealed the Green Valley Academy in Manjeri, Munnar Villa Vista Private Limited, Trivandrum Education and Service Trust, and Valluvanad House. The agency took this action after it received intel that these ‘institutions’ were acting as PFI training centres.

As part of a larger crackdown on the banned Islamist terror outfit PFI, media reports claim that the NIA is likely to raid other locations outside Malappuram as well.

Crackdown on NIA continues

Meanwhile, the NIA along with other security and investigating agencies have been cracking a whip on PFI cadres who were allegedly part of hatching terror plots in Bihar’s Phulwari Sharif. 

Previously, in the last week of May 2023, NIA raided around 25 locations in Karnataka, Kerala, and Bihar against suspected cadres and operatives of PFI. Additionally, the agencies have arrested 15 suspected operatives of PFI in connection with the Phulwari Sharif terror module case from Bihar’s East East Champaran. One of the arrested suspects includes an alleged PFI master trainer, Sultan Usman Khan alias Yakub who had pledged to re-erect Babri Masjid in Ram Janambhoomi.  

As per agencies, the accused were indulging in anti-national activities. Later, during interrogation, Yakub revealed that there was a conspiracy going on to spread communal riots by carrying out an incident in Bihar’s Motihari. He added that they had clandestinely purchased weapons for this reason, however, the agencies busted their module before they could execute their nefarious plans. 

Back then, NIA stated that recce had already been conducted 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.

Earlier, in September 2022, the Union Home Ministry banned PFI and its eight affiliates. Resultantly, most of the ‘frontline leaders’ of the Islamist organisation were jailed. As per reports, the NIA and the Enforcement Directorate (ED) have arrested more than 200 suspected members of this banned outfit amid the nationwide raids that are regularly conducted to dismantle the terror network of this Islamist outfit.