ED attaches ₹56.56 crore in properties linked to Islamist outfit PFI amid allegations of funding terrorism

The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken significant action against the Popular Front of India (PFI), a radical outfit recently banned by the Indian government, by attaching 35 immovable properties valued at ₹56.56 crore. These properties belong to various trusts, firms, and individuals associated with the organization.

In a statement released on Friday, the central investigative agency detailed that the attached assets include 19 properties worth ₹35.43 crore and 16 properties valued at ₹21.13 crore, totaling 35 immovable properties.

The ED's investigation uncovered alarming allegations that PFI office bearers, members, and cadres conspired to raise funds from both domestic and international sources. This fundraising was reportedly conducted through banking channels, hawala networks, and donations, all intended to finance terrorist activities within India.

According to the ED, funds raised through these unlawful means were deposited in 29 bank accounts located across several states, including Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Jammu & Kashmir, and Manipur. The agency estimated that the total amount of funds collected through these illicit activities and anonymous donors reached approximately ₹94 crore, qualifying as "Proceeds of Crime."

To date, the ED has arrested 26 individuals associated with PFI and has filed nine prosecution complaints between February 2021 and May 2024.

PFI's international operations
The ED's investigation also revealed that the PFI boasts over 13,000 active members in countries such as Singapore and various Gulf nations, including Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE.

The organization has reportedly established well-defined District Executive Committees (DECs) for the non-resident Muslim diaspora in these Gulf countries, which are tasked with fundraising. Each DEC was assigned targets amounting to several crores of rupees for funds collection. The funds raised abroad were allegedly transferred to India through complex banking channels and underground hawala networks to obscure their origins. Once in India, these funds were handed over to PFI members and leaders to support their alleged terrorist and unlawful activities.

The ED asserts that the underlying goal of the PFI is to establish an organization aimed at advancing an “Islamic movement in India through Jihad,” while it publicly presents itself as a social movement. This stark revelation raises concerns about the organization's activities and its potential impact on national security.