News Analysis India

Tag: Dawood Ibrahim

  • NIA team in Dubai to track D-company

    Express News Service

    NEW DELHI: A five-member team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is in Dubai to investigate cases related to the involvement of Dawood Ibrahim and his cartel, better known as D-company, in running global terrorist networks and a transnational organised crime syndicate that involves smuggling and hawala extortion.

    The team is looking into various aspects of money laundering and terror funding by the D-Company, additional leads of which were picked up during over 150 pan-India raids in connection with terror funding and radicalisation in the last three months.

    The NIA trip also coincides with the recent visit of a high-level Indian finance team in February to firm up modalities to strengthen UAE-India trade ties. The probe agency had in November filed a chargesheet naming Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar and his associates for running a transnational organised crime syndicate that was funding terror networks through hawala, supplying drugs and arms and even generating funds through extortion.

    The chargesheet said they “raised, collected and extorted huge amounts of money by threatening and by putting person(s) in fear of death or grievous hurt, for the D-Company, for the benefit of an individual terrorist (Dawood Ibrahim) in the instant case, and with the intention to threaten the security of India and create terror in the minds of the general public.”

    The sleuths in Dubai would examine similar operating patterns of other drug-terror networks being run from Canada, Malaysia and elsewhere in North India, including in Punjab, Haryana and J&K.

    NEW DELHI: A five-member team of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) is in Dubai to investigate cases related to the involvement of Dawood Ibrahim and his cartel, better known as D-company, in running global terrorist networks and a transnational organised crime syndicate that involves smuggling and hawala extortion.

    The team is looking into various aspects of money laundering and terror funding by the D-Company, additional leads of which were picked up during over 150 pan-India raids in connection with terror funding and radicalisation in the last three months.

    The NIA trip also coincides with the recent visit of a high-level Indian finance team in February to firm up modalities to strengthen UAE-India trade ties. The probe agency had in November filed a chargesheet naming Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar and his associates for running a transnational organised crime syndicate that was funding terror networks through hawala, supplying drugs and arms and even generating funds through extortion.

    The chargesheet said they “raised, collected and extorted huge amounts of money by threatening and by putting person(s) in fear of death or grievous hurt, for the D-Company, for the benefit of an individual terrorist (Dawood Ibrahim) in the instant case, and with the intention to threaten the security of India and create terror in the minds of the general public.”

    The sleuths in Dubai would examine similar operating patterns of other drug-terror networks being run from Canada, Malaysia and elsewhere in North India, including in Punjab, Haryana and J&K.

  • NIA team in Dubai to probe D-gang’s handiworks in terror-smuggling-hawala acts

    Express News Service

    A five-member team of the National Investigation Agency left for Dubai recently to investigate cases related to the involvement of Dawood Ibrahim and his cartel – better known as D-company, for running ‘global terrorist networks and transnational organised criminal syndicate that involves smuggling, hawala extortion.

    According to NIA sources, the team will look into various aspects of money laundering and terror funding angles involving the D-Company, the additional leads of which were picked up during more than 150 pan-India recent raids and arrests in connection with the matter of terror funding and radicalisation in the last three months.

    The NIA visit also coincides with the recent visit of a high-level Indian finance team in February to firm up modalities to strengthen UAE-India trade relationships that also included representation from the Reserve Bank of India.

    The NIA in November had filed a charge sheet naming absconders Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar and his associates for running terror networks and transnational organised criminal syndicate involving funding for terror networks through hawala, supplying drugs and arms and even generating funds through extortion.

    The recent Dubai trip of the NIA sleuths gathers significance amidst leads generated during the recent NIA raids and arrests across India in connection with funding for terror and radicalisation besides evidence in the form of digital devices, documents and other materials. Also, the NIA team would delve deep into similar operating patterns of other drug-terror networks being run in several states from Canada, Malaysia and other countries in north India including Punjab, Haryana and J&K among others.

    Besides Dawood, the other names mentioned in the chargesheet are members of the D-Company syndicate including Shakeel Shaikh alias Chhota Shakeel, Arif Abubakar Shaikh alias Arif Bhaijaan, Shabbir Abubakar Shaikh alias Shabbir and Mohammad Salim Qureshi alias Salim Fruit, involved in global criminal and terrorist activities including in India and running hawala and extortion activities as well. 

    According to the NIA sources the chargesheet states that “Investigations have established that the accused persons who are members of the D-Company, a terrorist gang and an organized crime syndicate, had conspired to further the criminal activities of the gang by carrying out various types of unlawful activities. In furtherance of the said conspiracy, they raised, collected and extorted huge amounts of money by threatening and by putting person(s) in fear of death or grievous hurt, for the D-Company, for the benefit of an individual terrorist (Dawood Ibrahim) in the instant case, and with the intention to threaten the security of India and create terror in the minds of the general public”. 

    The case was registered by the NIA team in Mumbai in March 2022 under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the relevant sections of the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act, 1999 and the Indian Penal Code. Shabir, Arif and Salim are in custody while Dawood and Shakeel who is an UN-designated international terrorists, are absconding from India.

    A five-member team of the National Investigation Agency left for Dubai recently to investigate cases related to the involvement of Dawood Ibrahim and his cartel – better known as D-company, for running ‘global terrorist networks and transnational organised criminal syndicate that involves smuggling, hawala extortion.

    According to NIA sources, the team will look into various aspects of money laundering and terror funding angles involving the D-Company, the additional leads of which were picked up during more than 150 pan-India recent raids and arrests in connection with the matter of terror funding and radicalisation in the last three months.

    The NIA visit also coincides with the recent visit of a high-level Indian finance team in February to firm up modalities to strengthen UAE-India trade relationships that also included representation from the Reserve Bank of India.

    The NIA in November had filed a charge sheet naming absconders Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar and his associates for running terror networks and transnational organised criminal syndicate involving funding for terror networks through hawala, supplying drugs and arms and even generating funds through extortion.

    The recent Dubai trip of the NIA sleuths gathers significance amidst leads generated during the recent NIA raids and arrests across India in connection with funding for terror and radicalisation besides evidence in the form of digital devices, documents and other materials. Also, the NIA team would delve deep into similar operating patterns of other drug-terror networks being run in several states from Canada, Malaysia and other countries in north India including Punjab, Haryana and J&K among others.

    Besides Dawood, the other names mentioned in the chargesheet are members of the D-Company syndicate including Shakeel Shaikh alias Chhota Shakeel, Arif Abubakar Shaikh alias Arif Bhaijaan, Shabbir Abubakar Shaikh alias Shabbir and Mohammad Salim Qureshi alias Salim Fruit, involved in global criminal and terrorist activities including in India and running hawala and extortion activities as well. 

    According to the NIA sources the chargesheet states that “Investigations have established that the accused persons who are members of the D-Company, a terrorist gang and an organized crime syndicate, had conspired to further the criminal activities of the gang by carrying out various types of unlawful activities. In furtherance of the said conspiracy, they raised, collected and extorted huge amounts of money by threatening and by putting person(s) in fear of death or grievous hurt, for the D-Company, for the benefit of an individual terrorist (Dawood Ibrahim) in the instant case, and with the intention to threaten the security of India and create terror in the minds of the general public”. 

    The case was registered by the NIA team in Mumbai in March 2022 under various sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the relevant sections of the Maharashtra Control of Organized Crime Act, 1999 and the Indian Penal Code. Shabir, Arif and Salim are in custody while Dawood and Shakeel who is an UN-designated international terrorists, are absconding from India.

  • NIA announces Rs 25 lakh reward on fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The National Investigation Agency has announced a cash reward of Rs 25 lakh for any information leading to the arrest of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, a key accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, an official said on Thursday.

    The probe agency has also announced a cash reward of Rs 20 lakh on Ibrahim’s close aide Shakeel Shaikh alias Chhota Shakeel, and Rs 15 lakh each on associates Haji Anees alias Anees Ibrahim Shaikh, Javed Patel alias Javed Chikna and Ibrahim Mushtaq Abdul Razzak Memon alias Tiger Memon, he said.

    All of them are wanted accused in the case of 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts.

    The official said the NIA has sought information about them which could lead to their arrest.

    The agency had in February registered a case against the ‘D company’.

    Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar is designated a global terrorist by the United Nation runs an international terrorist network, namely D-Company, with his close associates like Anees Ibrahim Shaikh, Chhota Shakeel, Javed Chikhna and Tiger Memon, among others, the NIA said in a statement.

    They are involved in various terrorism-criminal activities such as arms smuggling, narco-terrorism, underworld criminal syndicate, money laundering, circulation of FICN, unauthorised possession/ acquisition of key assets for raising terror funds and working in active collaboration with international terrorist organisations including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Al Qaeda (AQ), the statement said.

    MUMBAI: The National Investigation Agency has announced a cash reward of Rs 25 lakh for any information leading to the arrest of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, a key accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, an official said on Thursday.

    The probe agency has also announced a cash reward of Rs 20 lakh on Ibrahim’s close aide Shakeel Shaikh alias Chhota Shakeel, and Rs 15 lakh each on associates Haji Anees alias Anees Ibrahim Shaikh, Javed Patel alias Javed Chikna and Ibrahim Mushtaq Abdul Razzak Memon alias Tiger Memon, he said.

    All of them are wanted accused in the case of 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts.

    The official said the NIA has sought information about them which could lead to their arrest.

    The agency had in February registered a case against the ‘D company’.

    Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar is designated a global terrorist by the United Nation runs an international terrorist network, namely D-Company, with his close associates like Anees Ibrahim Shaikh, Chhota Shakeel, Javed Chikhna and Tiger Memon, among others, the NIA said in a statement.

    They are involved in various terrorism-criminal activities such as arms smuggling, narco-terrorism, underworld criminal syndicate, money laundering, circulation of FICN, unauthorised possession/ acquisition of key assets for raising terror funds and working in active collaboration with international terrorist organisations including Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) and Al Qaeda (AQ), the statement said.

  • NIA arrests Chota Shakeel’s Mumbai-based associate Salim Fruit in D Company case

    By IANS

    NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday arrested Mohammed Salim Mohd. Iqbal Qureshi alias Salim Fruit in the case relating to activities of fugitive mafia don Dawood Ibrahim’s D Company.

    “Salim Fruit is a close associate of D Company and has played an active role in extorting huge amount of money in the name of Chhota Shakeel through property dealings and dispute settlements for raising terror funds in furtherance of terrorist activities of D company,” an official said.

    On February 3, the NIA had received an information that Dawood Ibrahim was raising terror funds and was working with Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, and Al Qaeda, and was controlling criminal activities in India through close aides.

    The case was registered suo moto on February 3 this year pertaining to terrorists and criminal activities viz. smuggling, narco-terrorism, money-laundering, circulation of FICN, unauthorised possession/acquisition of key assets for raising terror funds and working in active collaboration with international terrorist organisation including LeT, JeM and al-Qaeda.

    NEW DELHI: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday arrested Mohammed Salim Mohd. Iqbal Qureshi alias Salim Fruit in the case relating to activities of fugitive mafia don Dawood Ibrahim’s D Company.

    “Salim Fruit is a close associate of D Company and has played an active role in extorting huge amount of money in the name of Chhota Shakeel through property dealings and dispute settlements for raising terror funds in furtherance of terrorist activities of D company,” an official said.

    On February 3, the NIA had received an information that Dawood Ibrahim was raising terror funds and was working with Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, and Al Qaeda, and was controlling criminal activities in India through close aides.

    The case was registered suo moto on February 3 this year pertaining to terrorists and criminal activities viz. smuggling, narco-terrorism, money-laundering, circulation of FICN, unauthorised possession/acquisition of key assets for raising terror funds and working in active collaboration with international terrorist organisation including LeT, JeM and al-Qaeda.

  • After BJP leader Aparna Yadav, now Bhopal MP Pragya Thakur receives threat call from ‘Iqbal Kaskar’s man’

    By Express News Service

    BHOPAL: First-time BJP MP from Bhopal Lok Sabha seat and 2008 Malegaon blast accused Pragya Singh Thakur has received a death threat over the phone from a man posing as the aide of India’s most wanted fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim’s brother Iqbal Kaskar.

    The WhatsApp call to the BJP MP was made from the same phone number which was used for a similar death threat to ex-UP CM Mulayam Singh Yadav’s younger daughter-in-law and UP BJP leader Aparna Yadav on Wednesday.

    The caller posing as Iqbal Kaskar’s man told Thakur through a WhatsApp call that she would be killed for targeting Muslims and spreading venom against the minority community.

    A 2.05 minutes video showing the first-time lawmaker talking to the caller has gone viral over social media. A case has subsequently been registered on the BJP MP’s complaint u/s 506 and 507 IPC against the unidentified caller at Bhopal’s TT Nagar police station on Saturday morning.

    Thakur received the WhatsApp call at around 1 am on Saturday, a short while after she had returned home from the BJP office in Bhopal.

    In the viral video, the caller is heard telling Thakur that she would be assassinated soon for spewing venom against the Muslims, on which she asks the caller “do the Muslims sprinkle nectar. What did I utter that pained you?”

    When she asked the caller, who is Iqbal Kaskar, the caller responded that she would come to know about it when she will be killed.

    The death threat WhatsApp call happened just a few days after Thakur defended and suspended BJP national spokesperson Nupur Sharma for the latter’s controversial remarks about Prophet Muhammad.

    Primary investigations into the matter by Bhopal police revealed that the death threat call was made to Thakur from the same number which was used for a death threat to another BJP leader and ex-UP CM Mulayam Singh Yadav’s daughter-in-law Aparna Yadav three days back, Bhopal police sources told The New Indian Express.

    Three days back, a caller had through a WhatsApp call threatened to kill Aparna Yadav within 72 hours.

    The common phone number from which death threats were made to Aparna Yadav and Pragya Thakur within three days was being operated from Dubai, sources privy to the ongoing investigations confided.Further investigations are underway.

  • Mumbai: Businessman booked for raping niece, threatening to kill her using his ‘links’ to gangsters

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Mumbai Police have registered a case against a septuagenarian businessman for allegedly raping his 35-year-old niece multiple times since 2007 and threatening to get her killed using his “connections” with fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and other criminals, an official said on Thursday.

    In her complaint lodged at Amboli police station, the woman alleged that the 75-year-old accused, who is her uncle, first raped her in a hotel in 2007, he said.

    “The complainant said the accused sexually assaulted her multiple times at different locations in suburban Mumbai after that and threatened her not to reveal about it to anyone.

    He used to threaten that he would get the victim killed saying that underworld don Dawood Ibrahim was his friend, while Haji Mastan, another crime lord, was his relative,” the official said.

    “The complainant also claimed that the accused borrowed Rs two crore from her at one per cent interest rate, but has not returned the amount to her so far,” he added.

    Since the woman resides in Andheri area, she lodged the complaint with Amboli police station.

    A case under Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections 376 (2) (n) (repeated rape), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace), police said.

    The case has been handed over to the MIDC police station in Andheri for further probe.

  • ED submits 5,000-page charge-sheet against Malik in property case linked to Dawood

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday submitted a charge-sheet in a court here against Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik in an alleged money laundering case linked to fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, nearly two months after arresting him in the matter.

    Malik (62), a senior Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader, was arrested by the ED on February 23 in the case, and is currently in jail under judicial custody. The over-5,000-page charge-sheet was submitted in the court’s registry, ED lawyers said.

    The special court for Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) cases will take cognizance of the charge-sheet after verification of the documents, they said.

    The ED’s case is based on an FIR filed recently by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) against Ibrahim, a designated global terrorist and key 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts accused, and his aides under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

    Earlier, during remand hearings, the central financial investigation agency had told the court Malik was the key conspirator and beneficiary of the “entire charade”.

    In lieu of getting control of illegal occupation of this property, he funded a prominent member of ‘D-Gang’ (Dawood gang) , the ED had said. It has claimed that for usurping “this property, members of the D-Gang and Nawab Malik connived together and executed several legal documents to put a facade of genuinity over this criminal act”.

    During his custodial interrogation, (previously arrested accused) Iqbal Kaskar (brother of Dawood Ibrahim) revealed certain facts about his sister Haseena Parker and her involvement in usurping high-valued properties of innocent citizens in Mumbai by using the clout of D-Gang, it had said.

    In course of the investigation, it was revealed one such victim of the D-Gang was one Munira Plumber, the agency had said.

    Plumber’s prime property (having present market value of Rs 300 crore) was usurped by Malik through Solidus Investments, a company owned by the minister’s family, with active connivance of members of the D-Gang, including Haseena Parkar, the ED had told the court.

    Plumber, in her statement to the ED, has said she had not sold this property to Malik, the agency said. It is also apparent that Malik is guilty of the offence of money laundering as defined under provisions of the PMLA, the probe agency has said.

    Malik, who has denied all charges levelled against him, has moved the Supreme Court against an order of the Bombay High Court which had rejected his interim application seeking immediate release from jail.

  • Nawab Malik has no right to continue in Maha cabinet, says BJP

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: Maharashtra BJP chief Chandrakant Patil on Thursday said state minister Nawab Malik has no right to remain a part of the state cabinet following his arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) in connection with a money laundering probe linked to the activities of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides.

    He said that Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray also has no moral right to remain in power as the situation in the state is “extremely chaotic”.

    Patil made the statements here while participating in an agitation against Malik.

    Malik (62) was arrested on Wednesday after being questioned for about five hours at the ED office in south Mumbai’s Ballard Estate area and later produced before special judge R N Rokade, who remanded him in the ED custody till March 3.

    “Malik has no right to be part of the Maharashtra government’s cabinet. Also CM Uddhav Thackeray cannot remain at the helm of affairs,” Patil said.

    “The situation in Maharastra is such that it requires imposition of President’s rule. The situation in the state is extremely chaotic,” the former minister added.

    After Malik’s arrest, the opposition BJP is vociferously demanding his resignation, but the ruling NCP and its allies – Shiv Sena and Congress – have come out in support of the minister.

    The parties have ruled out the possibility of his resignation.

  • Malik sent to ED custody till March 3 in money laundering case

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: After a court here remanded Maharashtra minister Nawab Malik in the ED custody following his arrest in a money laundering probe on Wednesday, he was brought to the central agency’s office in south Mumbai, where he will have to spend the night, an official said.

    A special court remanded the state Minority Affairs Minister to the custody of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) till March 3 in a money laundering probe linked to the activities of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and his aides.

    Malik was arrested earlier in the day after being questioned for about five hours at the ED office in south Mumbai’s Ballard Estate area since around 8 am.

    ALSO READ | BJP seeks Malik’s resignation after arrest by ED; Sena says he was held in ‘cunning manner’

    The 62-year-old NCP leader was produced before special Judge R N Rokade, who remanded him in the ED custody for further probe into the matter.

    “After the court hearing, Malik was brought to the ED office in Ballard Estate around 9 pm. The minister will have to spent this night at the ED office,” the official said.

    The senior NCP leader was brought to the central agency’s office amid tight security of the CRPF personnel, he said.

    While getting down from the vehicle at night, Malik once again waved at media persons, just like he had done in the afternoon after stepping out of the ED office after his questioning.

  • Dawood aide Parveen arrested in extortion case involving Param Bir Singh

    By PTI

    THANE: Tarique Parveen, an alleged aide of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim, was arrested by Thane police on Friday in an extortion case where IPS officer Param Bir Singh is one of the accused.

    Tarique Abdul Karim Merchanta alias Tarique Parveen (55), who was already in jail in another case, was wanted in the case registered with the Thane Nagar police station here, an official said.

    The present FIR names over 20 persons including Singh, who had been police commissioner of Mumbai and Thane, and some other police officers.

    It was filed on the complaint of builder Ketan Tanna, who alleged that Singh and other officers extorted money from him by threatening to frame him up in false cases when Singh was Thane police commissioner.

    Parveen, accused in another extortion case, was lodged in the Taloja jail.

    A court in Mumbai on Friday ordered that he be handed over to Thane police.

    Thane police produced him before a local court which remanded him in police custody till September 22.

    Singh has not been arrested in the case so far.

    He was transferred from the post of Mumbai police commissioner in March in the aftermath of the `Antilia bomb scare incident’.

    He later accused then Maharashtra home minister Anil Deshmukh of corruption, which led to the minister’s eventual resignation.