KOCHI/PARAVUR: Anti-terrorist forces raided the houses of relatives and associates of notorious gang leader Perumbavoor Anas and seized deadly weapons including firearms, ammunition and cash. Two revolvers, two pistols, 25 rounds, two knives and Rs.8.83 lakhs were seized from the house of Thadi Riaz alias Valiyavittil Riaz of Kochukunnumpuram, Aluva Manjali. He was arrested. The raid was led by Ernakulam Rural District Police Chief Dr. Vaibhav Saxena. The police said Riaz is a gang member and a suspect in several cases including the Mubarak murder case.

A revolver case, handcuffs and a box of pellets used in air pistols were seized from the house of Altaf, another accomplice of Anas and accused in the Kochi beauty parlour shooting case. The Tamil Nadu police recovered a machete from the house in Anamala, where another person related to Anas was staying. The flat in Guruvayur where he is currently staying, the house of another gang member Nisar in Mancheri, the resort located in Rajakkad in Idukki where Nisar works and the house of his friend in Metupalayam, Tamil Nadu were also searched.

Kalpatta police and the anti-terrorist squad are continuing their search based on information that guns are buried at the back of the resort where Anas and his associates were staying in Kalpatta, Wayanad. The house of Shaji Pappan, a native of Perumbavoor, who is a close associate of Anas, was also searched. He is in the Gulf with Anas. Thadi Riaz will be produced in the Aluva court today. Police had seized deadly weapons from Riaz's house eight years ago.