NEW DELHI: The NIA launched a massive search operation at multiple locations across four states on Tuesday morning, targeting the banned Popular Front of India (PFI).

Search was conducted at more than a dozen location including 12 in Bihar, two locations in Uttar Pradesh, and one location each in Punjab’s Ludhiana and Goa.

The federal agency has found that despite the ban the radical outfit continued to propagate hatred and were arranging ammunition for crimes.

As per sources, raids are being conducted at Dr. Sarik Raza, a dentist in Darbhanga city’s Urdu Bazar and Mehboob, a resident of Shankarpur village of Singhwara police station area, associated with the banned organization PFI.

The Union Home Ministry had in September last year declared the Popular Front of India (PFI) and its affiliates an ‘Unlawful Association’.

The PFI was formed in 2006 with the merger of the National Development Front (NDF) of Kerala and Karnataka Forum for Dignity (KFD) with Oma Salam becoming its Chairman, E M Abdul Rahiman Vice-chairman, V P Nazaruddin National Secretary, Anees Ahmed the national general secretary of the NEC, the top decision-making body in the outfit.