Chennai, Jul 28 (IANS): The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has conducted searches and raids at the residences and business premises of a few leaders of the banned Islamist organisation, Popular Front of India (PFI).

The searches were held at the residence of the former state president of PFI, Mohammed Ismail at Purasawalkam on Thursday.

He was taken into the ED regional office in Chennai.

The ED sleuths continued their searches and raids at the residences of certain former leaders of PFI and their associate business establishments.

Sources in the premier investigating agency told IANS that the raids were concerned with certain hawala transactions.

The Government of India had banned the Popular Front of India in September 2022. The organisation was banned for its extreme Islamist ideology and terror activities.

While the PFI was banned and later disbanded, the political arm of the extremist organisation, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) is active, and most of the PFI cadres and leaders have now shifted their activities into the SDPI.