Coimbatore, July 30 (IANS) The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday carried out a search at the Coimbatore residence of a man accused in the 2019 Sri Lanka Easter Sunday serial bombings case as part of an ongoing investigation into alleged money laundering and financial transactions linked to the conspiracy.
The search was conducted at the residence of Azharuddin, located in Anbu Nagar in Ukkadam, by a team of ED officials assisted by central security personnel and the local police.
Officials began the operation in the morning and continued an extensive search for several hours.
Azharuddin was earlier arrested in connection with the investigation into the coordinated Easter Sunday suicide bombings in Sri Lanka on April 21, 2019, which killed more than 250 people and injured hundreds. He is currently lodged in Viyyur Central Prison in Kerala while legal proceedings in the case continue.
According to sources, ED officials examined a range of documents, electronic devices and financial records at the residence to trace suspected money trails and establish whether any proceeds of crime or financial transactions were linked to the wider conspiracy.
Investigators are also scrutinising bank records and other materials that could assist in the ongoing probe into the financial aspects of the case.
Security was tightened in the locality during the search, with police restricting public movement around the premises while officials carried out the operation.
No seizure details or official findings had been disclosed at the time of filing this report, and the agency is expected to issue a formal statement after the completion of the search.
The latest operation has once again brought the spotlight on Ukkadam, a locality that has figured in several terror-related investigations over the years.
The area witnessed heightened security after a lone-wolf terror attack on the eve of Deepavali in October 2022, when a youth was killed in a car explosion near the Sangameswarar Temple.
Investigators later concluded that the blast was a suicide attack carried out by extremist Jamesha Mubeen, who died in the explosion, prompting the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to launch an extensive probe into the case.
The ED action has created considerable attention in Ukkadam, with residents closely following developments as investigators continue to examine possible financial links connected to the Sri Lanka Easter bombings case.
–IANS
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