Kovai car blast: NIA searches 43 locations across TN

COIMBATORE: Multiple teams from the National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted coordinated searches at 43 locations across Tamil Nadu on Thursday in connection with the Coimbatore car blast case.

This is the first massive search operation being carried out by NIA after taking over the sensational case from Coimbatore city police on October 27.

“Preliminary investigations revealed that the deceased suspect, Jameesha Mubin, had planned to carry out attacks on symbols of a particular religious faith. The six people who were arrested conspired with Mubin in procuring chemicals and ingredients to make Improvised Explosive Devices (IED), including vehicle-borne IED, from online shopping platforms to commit acts of terror,” said an official.

Sources said raids were conducted in 33 locations in Coimbatore, including the houses of suspects and those having links with Mubin (29), who died in the blast. Similar searches were carried out in Chennai, Tiruvallur, Chengalpattu, Kancheepuram, Tirupur, The Nilgiris, and Nagapattinam, besides one location in Palakkad, Kerala. “Digital devices and documents were seized from the houses of suspects,” said an official.

The NIA sleuths swooped down around 5 am in the houses of Mubin, his six associates who have already been arrested, and those in contact with them in areas including Kottaimedu, Ukkadam, GM Nagar, Rose Garden and Kuniyamuthur in Coimbatore.

In The Nilgiris, officials raided the house of a 35-year-old man in ‘Ottu Pattarai’ area while a house of Mubin’s relative was searched in Venkateswara Nagar in Tirupur. The search operations concluded in the evening.