In a massive action, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Friday said that it has arrested Mohammed Mubarak AI, the martial arts expert and alleged hit squad trainer of a Popular Front of India (PFI), in connection with the Kerala PFI module case.
This is the 14th arrest by the NIA in connection with the case after it registered an FIR on September 19 of this year.
NIA officials said that Mubarak AI, a resident of Kerala’s Ernakulam district, was arrested on Thursday after the anti-terror probe agency officials conducted searches at 56 locations in Kerala, including his residence. The official said that he is a practising advocate in the Kerala High Court.
The official said that an assortment of arms, concealed in a badminton racket bag, was recovered from his house during the searches yesterday, including an axe, swords and sickles.
The NIA official further said that its probe has confirmed that the PFI was raising, training and maintaining hit squads in different states and districts to target leaders and members of other communities.
NIA conducted searches at 56 locations in Kerala on Thursday in connection with the case, which relates to unlawful and violent activities being carried out by PFI, its office bearers, cadres, members and affiliates.
PFI has been found to justify the use of criminal force and encourage vulnerable youth to join terrorist organisations.
The NIA had carried out searches at the residences of seven state executive committee members, seven zonal heads of PFI, 15 physical training instructors-trainers of PFI, houses of seven PFI cadres trained in the use of knives, daggers, swords and other types of weapons to carry out murderous violent acts and 20 other suspects in the districts of Trivandrum, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Wayanad.
Earlier on September 23, the NIA had carried out searches at 24 locations in Kerala, including offices of PFI and the residences of 13 accused.