Kozhikode: The NIA state unit has a number of cases in its kitty but it lacks enough hands to deal with them. While it handles more than 20 cases, most of them having inter-state and international links, it has hardly 40 personnel, including SP, the team head.
“The NIA, Kochi unit, deals with the largest number of cases among all units across the country,” an NIA official said. The state unit, which became operational in 2013, handles 20 percent of the total cases registered in the country. The number of NIA officials was less than 30 till recently.
Most of the cases are related to anti-national activities with communal tinge and links to smuggling rackets of pan-India operational base, and the unit is struggling to make a breakthrough with the existing force.
The cases with the NIA include Wagamon SIMI arms training camp (2007), Popular Front of India (PFI) arms training at Narath, Kannur (2013), the links of Dinesan alias Riaz from Wayanad who was arrested in connection with the Pathankot terror attack, the counterfeit currency racket with roots in Pakistan that operate in Malabar region, the cases related to the arrest of high-profile terrorist leaders like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) South India commander Thadiyantavide Nazeer who was arrested in 2009 from a hideout near Bangladesh border, cases involving Mohammed Sabeer (former president of SIMI, Kerala unit), a Peshavar-based LeT operative, a key accused in the Bengaluru serial blasts of 2008 who fled with a fake passport, and many more.
“In all cases related to Islamic terrorism and counterfeit currency registered in the country, there would be at least one person from the state,” said an NIA official.
“Majority of these operatives have links across the country and also travel to the Gulf often which forces the officials to travel far and wide tracking the network,” he added.
“Most of the officials identified by the NIA from the state police are not happy to join the force as the nature of work is tougher than that of the state police,” said the official.
