The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is carrying out searches at 10 locations in Tamil Nadu. The search operations are underway in Trichy, Coimbatore, Chennai, Sivagangai, and Tenkasi.
The searches are focused on premises associated with members of Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), a Tamil nationalist political party.
In Trichy, the NIA is conducting a search at the residence of NTK leader and YouTuber Sattai Durai Murugan, also known as Murugan. NIA is also conducting a raid at the premises of Naam Tamilar Katchi party's worker Vishnu Pratap
The investigation is centered on the receipt of alleged illegal funding from abroad.
Following this, NTK moved Madras High Court regarding ongoing NIA raid on their party office bearers.
According to ANI, Justices M S Ramesh and Sunder Mohan of Madras High Court are set to hear the urgent petition on Friday afternoon.
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The raids were conducted in response to reports indicating suspected funding for banned Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) with an aim to revive the outfit in the state. According to sources in Tamil Nadu police, the residences and offices of certain office-bearers associated with a political party with extreme Tamil nationalistic ideology are currently undergoing raids. In October 2021, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) arrested Satkunam alias Sabesan, a former high-ranking Intelligence operative of the LTTE, on charges of drugs and arms smuggling.
The NIA had been monitoring his engagement in international drug syndicates and arms smuggling networks with connections in Pakistan and Dubai. Satkunam was apprehended in connection with a case involving the smuggling of arms and drugs from Pakistan to the Indian coast.