The National Investigation Agency launched simultaneous searches at several places across Tamil Nadu in the follow up the Coimbatore car explosion, police sources said on Thursday, November 10, 2022.
Special teams of the central agency commenced searches with the backup of Tamil Nadu police on the premises of persons they suspected of being IS activists or sympathisers.
Investigators were acting on inputs from intelligence agencies and information revealed by five suspects arrested in the Coimbatore car blast, the sources said.
Preliminary information revealed that the searches were on at many places in Chennai, Coimbatore and some other locations in the State.
In Coimbatore, NIA officials began conducting searches at nearly 20 locations.
Door-to-door searches are on at a housing board in Pullukadu, near Ukkadam. Searches are also underway at Kottaimedu, Podanur, Kuniyamuthur and Selvapuram.
The NIA is probing the source and supply network of funds and explosive substances to the accused in the blast in which Jameesha Mubin, a suspected suicide bomber, died on October 23, 2022, a day before Deepavali.
Man quizzed at Sirkazhi; electronic devices seized
A team of NIA personnel on Thursday conducted searches in the house of one Al Fazid at Thirumalaivasal near Sirkazhi of Mayiladuthurai district who was reportedly questioned earlier this year about his alleged links with ISIS.
After the search operation lasting over five hours, the NIA team has taken possession of two mobile phones, a pen drive, a CD and a few documents, police sources said. Al Fazid was summoned to Chennai and questioned by the NIA team four months ago, they added.