New Delhi: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Tuesday arrested 5 members of the banned organization Popular Front of India (PFI) from Karnataka and Kerala. The agency also claimed to have busted ‘hawala network’ operating in several states involved in funding terror activities.

NIA said that despite the PFI being banned on September 27 last year, extremism continues to be spread by its leaders and members. “These people are also arranging arms and ammunition to commit the crime,” said NIA

An NIA spokesperson said the teams of the probe agency are conducting massive search operations in Kasaragod (Kerala) and Dakshina Kannada (Karnataka) since Sunday. 

He said that NIA conducted searches at 8 places in which several digital devices and suspicious documents containing details of transactions worth crores were seized.

The official said that PFI members Mohammad Sinan, Sarfaraz Nawaz, Iqbal, and Abdul Rafiq M were arrested from Karnataka, and Abid K. M. was arrested from Kerala.

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