NEW DELHI: The Enforcement Directorate on Thursday raided a dozen locations as part of a money laundering investigation against SDPI, the political outfit of the banned Popular Front of India (PFI), official sources said.

The searches come after the federal probe agency arrested Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI) national president M K Faizy.

The searches are underway at two locations in Delhi, including the SDPI headquarters, Thiruvananthapuram and Malappuram in Kerala, Nandyal in Andhra Pradesh, Pakur in Jharkhand, Thane in Maharashtra, Bengaluru, Chennai, Kolkata, Lucknow and Jaipur, the sources said.

The ED had claimed then that there existed an "organic" relation between the two outfits and that the PFI was carrying out its criminal activities through the political party (SDPI).

The PFI was banned by the Union government in September, 2022 calling it an unlawful association and for indulging in terrorist activities.

The SDPI was founded in 2009 and headquartered in Delhi. It is alleged to be the political front of the PFI.

It is also registered as a political party with the Election Commission of India.