Thiruvananthapuram/UNI: In another major state-wide crackdown against the Popular Front of India (PFI), simultaneous raids were conducted in 56 places by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Kerala on Thursday.

The raids began at 3 am in various districts including Ernakulam, Pathanamthitta, Kollam, Alappuzha, Malappuram and Thiruvananthapuram, sources said.

The simultaneous raids are being conducted in the houses of PFI leaders and the strongholds of the outfit including 12 places in Ernakulam, four in Alappuzha and various locations in Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Malappuram and Thiruvananthapuram.

The raids are aimed at collecting evidence of fund providers and their transactions based on the details received from 100 bank accounts operated by the PFI to collect money from Gulf countries.

The raids are being conducted mainly at the houses of the second-level leaders of the outfit following information that the PFI conducted several secret meetings even after the arrest of the PFI state leaders in September last.

The NIA sleuths with the support of local police are conducting raids at Aluva, Kunjumnikkara and Edavanakkad in Ernakulam district, vandanam, Chandiroor, Veeyapuram and Ochira in Alappuzha district.

In Sept 22, 2022, the NIA conducted raids, with the support of Enforcement Directorate (ED) citing narco-terrorism activities, in about 70 locations in Kerala and arrested several PFI state leaders after a state-wide hartal called by the PFI.