PFI's Gulf Operations: 13,000 members tasked with fundraising; arms training revealed by ED
- In Reports
- 11:21 AM, Oct 19, 2024
- Myind Staff
The banned Popular Front of India (PFI) had over 13,000 active members across Singapore and Gulf nations, including Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) said on Friday. These members were allegedly responsible for fundraising activities aimed at financing unlawful and terrorist activities in India.
According to the ED’s statement, the PFI had set up "well-defined District Executive Committees (DECs)" among the Non-Resident Muslim diaspora in the Gulf countries. These committees were tasked with collecting funds, with each DEC given a target of several crores of rupees. The funds raised abroad were transferred to India through circuitous banking channels and underground "hawala" networks, the ED added, making it difficult to trace their origins. The money was then handed over to PFI office bearers to finance unlawful activities.
In its investigation, the ED claimed that the PFI’s real objectives were different from those stated in its constitution. "The real objectives of PFI include formation of an organisation for carrying out an Islamic movement in India through Jihad," said the agency. Although the group presented itself as a social movement, the ED noted that "PFI claimed use of non-violent forms of protest but evidences reveal that the methods of protest employed by them are violent in nature."
The agency also highlighted that PFI provided arms training to its cadres under the guise of Physical Education (PE) classes. These sessions involved techniques for offensive and defensive maneuvers, including variations of blows, punches, kicks, as well as knife and stick attacks. According to the ED, "these classes were carried out on the properties registered under dummy owners' names," with no property officially registered under PFI.
One significant instance cited was the Narath Arms Camp case from 2013, where PFI cadres were allegedly trained in the use of explosives and weapons in Kannur District, Kerala. The ED stated, "the intention was to promote enmity between different religions and prepare the cadres for terrorist activities."
The Central Government had banned the PFI on September 28, 2022, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) after a nationwide crackdown by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) led to the arrest of several PFI leaders.
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