Chennai, Sep 22 (IANS): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has taken into custody Popular Front of India (PFI) national executive committee member A.S. Ismail during a raid at his residence in Coimbatore on Thursday.

The action against Ismail was part of the ongoing raid being carried out in 11 states across the country since early morning, said sources.

The NIA sleuths took Ismail in custody at Karumbakudi in Coimbatore. PFI cadres staged a protest outside his residence, and he was taken to an unknown destination.

It is to be noted that this is the largest raid being carried out across the country against the Popular Front of India.

It is learned that the All India President of the Popular Front of India, O.M.A Salam, and its National General Secretary, Elamaram Kareem have been taken into custody in Kozhikode, North Kerala.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was giving the necessary security to the NIA sleuths during the raids.

A source in the National Investigation Agency (NIA) in Chennai told IANS that the raids were being undertaken as part of the national-level raids against the organisation.

Sources also told IANS that after the murder of the RSS leader, Sreenivasan at Palakkad in Kerala, the police had seized some incriminating documents, including about the PFI conducting training to cadres and preparing list of RSS workers and leaders to be eliminated.