NIA conducts raids across TN after special court sends 16 to custody in terror case

Chennai: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is conducting searches at various locations in Tamil Nadu as part of its probe into the 'Ansarullah' terror module case, police said Saturday.

The raids are being carried out in Chennai, Madurai, Tirunelveli and Ramanathapuram district, they said without divulging further details.

The searches come a day after a special NIA court had granted the probe agency eight-day custody of 16 people arrested for allegedly attempting to set up the terror outfit, "Ansarullah."

The NIA had said the agency needed to take the accused to various places to verify the evidence collected against them during the investigation.

The accused supported the ISIS and Al-Qaeda terror outfits, according to the prosecution in the NIA court.

While 14 accused were arrested after they were deported to India last week by Saudi Arabia for allegedly attempting to set up terror outfit 'Ansarullah' in Tamil Nadu, two had been picked up from the state last Saturday.