The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a key absconding accused from Kerala’s Malappuram district in connection with an alleged arms training and radicalisation case linked to the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), marking a significant breakthrough in its ongoing nationwide probe into extremist networks.
Arrest At Cochin International Airport
The accused, Moideenkutty P, a resident of Kattipparuthi in Valanchery, Malappuram, was taken into custody by an NIA team on Wednesday upon his arrival from the United Arab Emirates at Cochin International Airport, Nedumbassery.
According to the agency, he had been absconding since September 2022, immediately after the case was registered. Investigators said he had fled the country soon after the probe began. Earlier searches conducted at his residence had resulted in the recovery of incriminating documents linked to the case, the NIA stated.
In its official statement, the NIA identified Moideenkutty as the coordinator of physical education training for the PFI. He is alleged to have been responsible for organising and supervising structured physical and weapons training programmes conducted for PFI cadres as part of the outfit’s operational preparation modules.
Conspiracy Involving Radicalisation And Arms Training
The case relates to what the NIA describes as a larger criminal conspiracy orchestrated by the banned organisation to engineer communal division through systematic radicalisation of youth.
According to the agency’s findings, youth were allegedly radicalised along communal lines, recruits were trained in handling weapons, and funds were raised to support terror and violent activities.
The NIA further alleged that these activities were part of a long-term objective to establish Islamic rule in India by 2047.
Reward, Surveillance And Multi-State Tracking
Agency sources said Moideenkutty was among the key accused in the case, prompting an intensified manhunt. A reward of ₹7 lakh had been announced for information leading to his arrest.
A dedicated NIA team tracked his movements using intelligence inputs from multiple states. Sustained surveillance and inter-state coordination led to his interception at the airport. Officials indicated he was apprehended while attempting onward international travel.
Produced Before Court, Custodial Interrogation Likely
Following his arrest, Moideenkutty was produced before the jurisdictional court and remanded. The NIA is expected to seek custodial interrogation to obtain further details regarding the structure of the alleged arms training network, the coordination among the accused, and financial channels and logistical support systems.
The anti-terror agency has already filed chargesheets against 65 accused in the case and confirmed that investigations are continuing.
The arrest is part of a broader crackdown launched after the Union Government banned the Popular Front of India in 2022 over alleged terror links and extremist activities.
In late January, the NIA conducted coordinated early-morning searches across several districts in Kerala as part of an ongoing probe into suspected attempts to revive the banned outfit and continue extremist financing operations.
Locations searched included residences of former PFI office-bearers, and offices linked to the outfit’s political wing, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI).
Investigators said the raids were based on intelligence inputs related to organisational revival efforts and financial mobilisation linked to extremist activities.
Officials described Moideenkutty’s arrest as a major operational breakthrough, adding that further arrests and disclosures are likely as interrogation and evidence analysis progress.
Source: Mathrubhumi English
Subscribe to our channels on WhatsApp, Telegram, Instagram and YouTube to get the best stories of the day delivered to you personally.
