TN Police on alert after intelligence warning on Islamic outfits in state

Chennai, Feb 23 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu Police is on high alert after inputs from central intelligence agencies on the presence of some Islamic outfits in the state.

After the ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI), some human rights groups were conducting programmes on human rights and police action, and central agencies have warned that such outfits were actually fronts of former PFI cadres who were trying to regroup.

Sources in the Tamil Nadu Police told IANS that these groups were trying to influence educated youths in campuses who are wedded to Islamic ideology. While many are shying away due to the ban inflicted on the PFI, some youths are being targeted by these groups.

The central agencies have warned the state police that some sleeper cells were working in Tamil Nadu supporting the activities of these 'on paper' organisations. Even as these groups are focusing on human rights and against "police atrocities", agencies say that they were trying to create a dedicated support base from among the former PFI activists for further action in Tamil Nadu.

According to a senior officer of a central intelligence agency, these organisations are getting funds from outside the country and some hawala operators are being used to deliver the money. Some West Asia-based Tamil Muslims are supporting these movements and the agencies are trying to ascertain the volume of money that is being transferred.

Islamic outfits consider Tamil Nadu as a safe haven as the DMK government in the state is opposed to the Central government and is in confrontation with the Centre on many issues. While Kerala would have been a better hideout, agencies said that these organisations skipped it as the state has been on the radar of agencies and media earlier vis-a-vis Islamic outfits. Even the PFI's earlier avatar, the NDF was formed in Kerala.

Tamil Nadu, according to central agencies, does not have that much of media hype regarding Islamic movements and hence, the Islamists are trying to develop a strong base there.

With former LTTE cadres forging alliance with international drug smuggling networks like Haji Ali network, the central agencies is trying to get inputs on whether the newly-formed groups are entering into or already entered into any connection with the former.

Several places in Tamil Nadu like Coimbatore, Tiruchi, Namakkkal, Kanniyakumari, and Theni are under the scanner of intelligence agencies and police to unearth the activities of these organisations.