Bengaluru/Shivamogga, Mar 27 (IANS): The National Investigation Agency (NIA) was on Wednesday conducting simultaneous raids in Bengaluru and Shivamogga district in connection with the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case.

According to sources, the NIA was raiding five locations in Bengaluru city, and some houses in Thirthahalli town of Shivamogga district.

The raids were conducted on the suspected persons, who were in direct contact with the bomber and provided him financial assistance, sources said. More details are yet to emerge on the NIA action.

The agency had detained two suspects in connection with the Rameshwaram Cafe blast case in Bengaluru on Tuesday. The preliminary probe revealed that the two suspects were in direct contact with the suspected bomber. Sources said that the raids were being conducted on the basis of information given by these two suspects.

Even as the NIA and police teams have launched an extensive search operation in various states, the bomber has remained elusive. The authorities had obtained the bomber's images and videos from CCTV footage on March 1, soon after the incident.

Sources said that the sleuths were suspecting that the bomber had come from Tamil Nadu and had stayed in a neighbouring state for two months before carrying out the blast.

The hair samples of the accused were gathered from the hat of the accused which he abandoned in Bengaluru near a religious place. The authorities have sent the samples for the DNA testing and were hoping for a breakthrough.

The Rameshwaram Cafe bomb blast took place on March 1 in the Brookfield area. Low-intensity Improvised Explosive Device (IED) was used to carry out the blast and nine persons were injured in the incident.