In a major raid conducted on Tuesday, the police spotted a suspected weapons training camp allegedly linked with Popular Front of India activists at Narath, 18 km from here.
A team of police officials led by DySP P Sukumaran, who conducted the raid, took into custody 21 activists involved in weapons training at a building under construction at Narath. Two country-made bombs, eight swords, bomb-making materials and gunpowder were seized by the police. Abdul Azeez, an accused in a murder case, was also arrested.
Almost all the arrested activists, except one, are natives of Muzhappilangad.
DySP Sukumaran said: “The documents seized from the training camp prove the SDPI-PFI connection with the camp. All the arrested are active workers and office-bearers of the SDPI-PFI”. Agencies are investigating the role of some Keralites in the Bangalore blast and the link with the camp here.
A dummy of a human body used for target practice also was spotted at the training camp. Two youth were keeping vigil at the main entrance of the building when the police team reached the place on the basis of a tip-off. They escaped from the scene on seeing the police team. Leaflets of the SDPI and banners of PFI also were found at the training camp. An Iranian entry card to Kish Island free zone in the name of Sadik Mangalodan was seized. The police have launched a detailed probe into the Iranian link of those taken into custody on the basis of the entry card.
Meanwhile, PFI district committee has demanded an impartial probe into the incident. PFI district president K P Thasneem and secretary C M Nazeer said the ‘raid drama’ conducted by certain political leaders of the ruling front to take revenge on political violence in Narath will disrupt peace.