The National Investigation Agency(NIA) has arrested six people on Sunday, five hailing from Kerala and one from Coimbatore, after getting ‘credible’ information that a criminal conspiracy to commit terrorist acts in South India in afoot.

NIA stated in a press release, “During searches conducted on Sunday in the districts of Kozhikode and Kannur in Kerala, six persons, have been arrested for their involvement in the conspiracy. Five of them were arrested while they were conducting a meeting at Kanakamala hilltop, Kannur District, Kerala. During subsequent searches, another person was detained from Kuttiyadu in Kozhikode district.”

NIA has registered a case under four sections of IPC and five sections under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

This came after the NIA received information that some men were collecting explosives and other materials for targeting important persons and places of public importance in various parts of South India.

NIA states that incriminating material including electronic devices, have been seized from their possession after search of their premises.

The NIA is conducting more searches in Chennai, Coimbatore in Tamil Nadu, Kannur in Kozhikode and Mallapuram in Kerala with the help of Tamil Nadu and Kerala police. In Coimbatore, police has taken five more people into custody for questioning.

The six people are Manseed, (30) hails from Kannur, Abu Basheer, (29) from Coimbatore, Swalih Mohammed T, (26), from Thrissur, Safwan P, (30), from Mallapuram district, Jasim NK, (25) and Ramshad Nageelan, (24), both from Kozhikode district.

These six people will be produced before the special court in Ernakulam for seeking their police custody.