NIA busts multi-state hawala community funding PFI terror actions; 5 arrested

By PTI

NEW DELHI: The NIA on Tuesday claimed to have busted a multi-state hawala community funding the Popular Front of India’s terror actions with the arrest of 5 members of the banned outfit in Karnataka and Kerala.

The company stated regardless of the ban imposed on it on September 27 final yr, PFI leaders and members continued to propagate the ideology of violent extremism and had been additionally arranging arms and ammunition to commit crimes.

“NIA teams have been carrying out extensive searches in Kasargod (Kerala) and Dakshin Kannada, Karnataka, since Sunday. Searches were conducted at eight locations leading to the seizure of multiple digital devices and incriminating documents containing details of transactions running into several crores of rupees,” a spokesperson of the company stated.

The official stated Popular Front of India (PFI) members Mahammad Sinan, Sarfraz Nawaz, Iqbal and Abdul Rafeek M of Karnataka and Abid Ok M of Kerala have been arrested.

The arrest adopted tracing and monitoring of funds being moved by the PFI throughout the nation, particularly in Kerala, Karnataka and Bihar, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) spokesperson stated, including that the company’s investigations into the Phulwarisharif PFI case of Bihar have led to the unearthing of a giant community of hawala operatives in south India.

“A PFI funding-by-hawala module operating out of Bihar and Karnataka with roots in the UAE has been busted with the arrests of the five operatives,” the official stated.

“PFI cadres in Phulwarisharif and Motihari had vowed to continue PFI activities in a clandestine manner in Bihar and had also arranged a firearm and ammunition recently to eliminate a youth of a particular community in Bihar’s East Champaran district. Three operatives of the module had been arrested on February 5,” the spokesperson stated.

The official stated individuals arrested from Karnataka and Kerala have been discovered to be actively concerned in PFI’s felony conspiracy to maneuver and channelise illicit funds procured from outdoors India for distribution amongst leaders and members of the banned group.

Earlier, seven accused individuals had been arrested after they had gathered within the Phulwarisharif space of Bihar’s Patna in July final yr for coaching and to hold out acts of terror and violence, the spokesperson stated.

Pursuing leads since July final yr, the official stated the NIA group discovered that regardless of the ban on its actions in September final yr, the PFI continued to propagate the ideology of violent extremism and had been additionally arranging arms and ammunition to commit crimes.

Following the leads, the official stated, the NIA investigators reached Nawaz and Sinan, who had been discovered making deposits within the financial institution accounts of the accused and suspects within the PFI case.

“Dogged pursuit of the money trail and connecting the dots, the NIA managed to unravel the international conspiracy and linkages to the funds while investigating Iqbal and other associates who had collected illegally generated funds from Dubai and Abu Dhabi and handed them over to Sinan, Nawaz, Rafeek and Abid in India,” the spokesperson stated.

“Investigations have shown that Sarfaraz, Sinan and Rafeek deposited this money in different bank accounts of the accused and the suspects,” the official stated.

The NIA stated additional investigations are on monitor to hint and choke worldwide as nicely home illicit funding channels of the PFI.

The 5 accused will likely be produced within the NIA Special Court Patna, the spokesperson stated.

NEW DELHI: The NIA on Tuesday claimed to have busted a multi-state hawala community funding the Popular Front of India’s terror actions with the arrest of 5 members of the banned outfit in Karnataka and Kerala.

The company stated regardless of the ban imposed on it on September 27 final yr, PFI leaders and members continued to propagate the ideology of violent extremism and had been additionally arranging arms and ammunition to commit crimes.

“NIA teams have been carrying out extensive searches in Kasargod (Kerala) and Dakshin Kannada, Karnataka, since Sunday. Searches were conducted at eight locations leading to the seizure of multiple digital devices and incriminating documents containing details of transactions running into several crores of rupees,” a spokesperson of the company stated.googletag.cmd.push(perform() googletag.show(‘div-gpt-ad-8052921-2’); );

The official stated Popular Front of India (PFI) members Mahammad Sinan, Sarfraz Nawaz, Iqbal and Abdul Rafeek M of Karnataka and Abid Ok M of Kerala have been arrested.

The arrest adopted tracing and monitoring of funds being moved by the PFI throughout the nation, particularly in Kerala, Karnataka and Bihar, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) spokesperson stated, including that the company’s investigations into the Phulwarisharif PFI case of Bihar have led to the unearthing of a giant community of hawala operatives in south India.

“A PFI funding-by-hawala module operating out of Bihar and Karnataka with roots in the UAE has been busted with the arrests of the five operatives,” the official stated.

“PFI cadres in Phulwarisharif and Motihari had vowed to continue PFI activities in a clandestine manner in Bihar and had also arranged a firearm and ammunition recently to eliminate a youth of a particular community in Bihar’s East Champaran district. Three operatives of the module had been arrested on February 5,” the spokesperson stated.

The official stated individuals arrested from Karnataka and Kerala have been discovered to be actively concerned in PFI’s felony conspiracy to maneuver and channelise illicit funds procured from outdoors India for distribution amongst leaders and members of the banned group.

Earlier, seven accused individuals had been arrested after they had gathered within the Phulwarisharif space of Bihar’s Patna in July final yr for coaching and to hold out acts of terror and violence, the spokesperson stated.

Pursuing leads since July final yr, the official stated the NIA group discovered that regardless of the ban on its actions in September final yr, the PFI continued to propagate the ideology of violent extremism and had been additionally arranging arms and ammunition to commit crimes.

Following the leads, the official stated, the NIA investigators reached Nawaz and Sinan, who had been discovered making deposits within the financial institution accounts of the accused and suspects within the PFI case.

“Dogged pursuit of the money trail and connecting the dots, the NIA managed to unravel the international conspiracy and linkages to the funds while investigating Iqbal and other associates who had collected illegally generated funds from Dubai and Abu Dhabi and handed them over to Sinan, Nawaz, Rafeek and Abid in India,” the spokesperson stated.

“Investigations have shown that Sarfaraz, Sinan and Rafeek deposited this money in different bank accounts of the accused and the suspects,” the official stated.

The NIA stated additional investigations are on monitor to hint and choke worldwide as nicely home illicit funding channels of the PFI.

The 5 accused will likely be produced within the NIA Special Court Patna, the spokesperson stated.