NIA arrests 5 hawala operatives in Phulwari Sharif PFI case

New Delhi, March 7 The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has said that it has arrested five hawala operatives from Karnataka in connection with the Phulwari Sharif case involving the now banned PFI and has unearthed a large Hawala module. All the five accused were arrested on Tuesday.

They were identified as Mahammad Sinan, Sarfraz Nawaz, Iqbal, Abdul Rafeek M and Abid K M.

"A PFI funding-by-hawala module operating out of Bihar and Karnataka with roots in the UAE has been busted with the arrests of 5 PFI operatives from Kasargod, Kerala and Dakshin Kannada, Karnataka," the NIA said.

The NIA official said that the PFI cadres in Phulwari Sharif and Motihari had vowed to continue PFI activities in a clandestine manner in Bihar. They had recently also arranged a gun and ammunition to eliminate a youth of a particular community in Bihar's East Champaran district.

The official said that in this matter the local authorities arrested three persons on February 5.

"The five arrested on Tuesday have been found to be actively involved in PFI's criminal conspiracy to move and channelise illicit funds procured from outside India for distribution among PFI leaders and cadres. In July last year seven accused persons were arrested from Phulwari Sharif," said the official.

The NIA said that since Sunday they have been conducting searches in Kasargod (Kerala) and Dakshin Kannada, Karnataka in this connection.

The official said that despite being banned the PFI and its cadres continued to propagate the ideology of violent extremism and were also arranging arms and ammunition to commit crimes.

The official said that following the money trail they reached Sarfraz Nawaz and Mahammad Sinan, who had been found making deposits in the bank accounts of accused and suspects.

"By connecting the dots, the NIA has managed to unravel the international conspiracy and linkages to the funds while investigating Iqbal and other associates who had collected illegal funds from Dubai and Abu Dhabi. This money was handed over to Mahammad Sinan, Sarfraz Nawaz, Abdul Rafeek M and Abid K. M. in India. Mohammad Sarfaraz, Md. Sinan and Md. Rafeek deposited this money in different bank accounts of accused and the suspects," said the official.

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