CBI arrests Dawood aide Farooq

Farooq played major role in ’93 Mumbai blasts

India’s 25-year-long trail of Yasin Mansoor Mohamed Farooq, alias Farooq Takla, an alleged close aide of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and key accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, came to an end on Thursday when he was deported by the UAE authorities and arrested by the CBI in New Delhi following his arrival at the Indira Gandhi International Airport. Takla was sent by a flight to Mumbai hours later and produced before a TADA court that remanded him to CBI custody till March 19.

Three months ago, the UAE government contacted the CBI, India’s nodal agency for Interpol, and other government authorities and informed that it had detained Takla (56), who hails from Mumbai and held an Indian passport that was revoked after the issuance of an Interpol Red Corner notice against him in 1995.

It asked India to send an extradition request for him, which was duly sent, said sources.

According to the source, Farooq was eventually deported not extradited, as the latter course would have involved a time-taking judicial process.

In its request for bringing him back to stand trial in the case, India had narrated the alleged role he had played as part of the Mumbai serial blasts conspiracy.

While then stationed in Dubai, Takla, along with other accused like Tahir Taklya, played a role in allegedly arranging for hosting in Dubai, 25-odd blasts accused and then dispatching them to Pakistan for receiving training in sophisticated arms including AK-47s, grenades, rocket launchers and bombmaking using explosives like RDX, sources said.

Takla was allegedly close to Dawood, designated by the US as a global terrorist and faces sanctions in the UN, and assisted him in handling the gang’s financial activities.