NIA raids 16 locations in Karnataka in terror funding case

The properties targeted in the raids are reported to be of activists associated with the now-banned Popular Front of India

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) carried out simultaneous raids at 16 different locations in the Dakshina Kannada district of Karnataka on Wednesday as part of the agency’s ongoing investigations into terror funding and its links to radical organisations, officials said.

The properties that were raided included several houses, shops, and a hospital. (Representative Image)

The properties targeted in the raids are reported to be of activists associated with the now-banned Popular Front of India (PFI). Senior officials familiar with the matter said that NIA had received credible inputs suggesting that funds from Gulf countries were being channelled into Karnataka to support radical organisations engaged in terror-related activities.

The search operations, which began at 4am on Wednesday, were carried out in various areas including the city, Bantwal, Uppinangady, Venur, and Belthangady. The properties that were raided included several houses, shops, and a hospital.

According to officials, NIA officials were able to recover digital evidence related to money transactions, which will be crucial in unravelling the financial network supporting these unlawful activities.

This is not the first time that the NIA has conducted searches in Dakshina Kannada district regarding terror-related activities. In March, the agency initiated similar operations to identify the sources of funding for such activities.

These investigations are also linked to a case involving the PFI’s alleged plot to attack Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a rally in Bihar on July 12, 2022. The case was initially registered on July 12, 2022 at police station Phulwari Sharif, district Patna, Bihar and re-registered by the NIA on July 22, 2022. NIA filed a charge sheet against four accused on January 7.