With brother’s arrest, police try to close in on Dawood
MUMBAI: The arrest of Iqbal Kaskar could turn out to be an important step in the government’s campaign to draw out from hiding his older brother and one of India’s most wanted men Dawood Ibrahim, intelligence and police sources said on Tuesday.
Kaskar was detained by Mumbai police on Monday night in what officials described as part of efforts to go after the assets and businesses of Dawood and his syndicate.
Dawood, whose organised crime empire known as D Company includes everything from extortion rackets and real estate to financing of Bollywood movies, is accused of ordering India’s worst terrorist attack when 257 were killed in serial bombings in Mumbai (then Bombay) in 1993. He is believed to be currently living in Pakistan after fleeing India to Dubai in 1984.
Pakistan denies he’s on its territory, although New Delhi says it has repeatedly shared proof to Islamabad and demanded Dawood’s extradition.
Kaskar, who was sent to police custody for eight days on Tuesday, was detained in connection with an old extortion case. Sources in the Intelligence Bureau, insisting they not be identified because of the sensitivity of the investigations, said he was running D Company’s Mumbai operations since the death of his sister Haseena Parker in 2014.
“The only way to rattle a man with such criminal nexus and money is by cutting off his finances. It is a step-by-step process, which is time consuming and arduous, but it is very effective,” said a senior police officer, who too did not want to be identified, referring to Dawood.
Less than a week ago, authorities in the United Kingdom seized properties belonging to Ibrahim, according to British media reports.
Dawood’s properties are also believed to be spread across Pakistan, Australia, Cyprus, Morocco, Spain and other European countries and Indian officials in talks with these governments to replicate UK’s action. The campaign, officials said, was being monitored by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval.
The breakthroughs follow cooperation from Dawood’s friend-turned-foe Chhota Rajan, who was arrested from Indonesia in 2015.
Officials in the Intelligence Bureau said Rajan and another aide of his have provided crucial details on Dawood’s interests in the Indian real estate market.
“Rajan has been getting his underworld cronies to provide vital information on Dawood’s current interests,” an officer said.