Bengaluru, Sep 27 (IANS): The crackdown against the Popular Front of India (PFI) continued in Karnataka with police detaining 45 members of the political outfit on Tuesday.

According to sources, the raids began at 4 a.m at various locations in Belagavi, Gadag, Bijapur in north Karnataka, neighbouring district of Bengaluru Kolar and Bengaluru Rural, coastal district of Udupi.

The PFI leaders have reportedly collected funds from foreign countries to foment violence in society and attack RSS leaders and offices in retaliation to recent NIA raids, the sources said.

On September 23, the searches were conducted in Bengaluru, Bidar, Raichur, Chamarajanagar, Mysuru, Bengaluru Rural and Kolar districts. In Bengaluru alone 15 PFI workers were taken into custody.

ADGP (Law and Order) Alok Kumar is personally monitoring the raids across the state. Belagavi police have taken five PFI members into custody who blocked the National Highway and protested against arrest their leaders earlier. In Kolar, six PFI leaders have been arrested and are being interrogated.

In the coastal district of Udupi, the police teams have conducted simultaneous raids on four locations and taken more than four leaders into custody.

ADGP Alok Kumar confirmed that 45 PFI workers have been taken into custody. The state-wide raids have been taken up as a preventive measure to stop them from indulging in violence, he said.