Hindustan Times (Lucknow)

Intel heat confines Dawood to Karachi

GETTING CLOSE Indian agents tailed him while he was on a visit to Europe

- Presley Thomas

Mafia don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar has reportedly stopped travelling out of Pakistan since August after Indian intelligen­ce agents tailed him while he was on a trip to Europe. Dawood appeared resigned to staying holed up in his heavily guarded house at Clifton Park in Karachi after his close shave, according to sources in the Indian security establishm­ent.

Indian intelligen­ce agents apparently followed him around but could not get close as Dawood has a complex ring of security around him that is manned by highly trained serving and retired agents from Pakistan’s intelligen­ce agency — the Inter Services Intelligen­ce (ISI) — and from another country, said the sources who spoke on condition of anonymity. The Indian operation was based on specific informatio­n gathered during a covert operation that involved surveillan­ce of his associates and family members in Mumbai who the security agencies believe are in regular touch with the gangster.

But how come Dawood was purportedl­y travelling to several countries given that he is among the most wanted on the global terror list. Without going into the details, Intelligen­ce Bureau sources said n Dawood has not been just confined to Karachi. He has apparently been travelling to Central Asian Republics, certain European nations and the United Kingdom on various fake passports. Hence, the government, which has stepped up efforts to try and get Dawood back to India, has deployed sleuths to tail Dawood and his gang members when they travel abroad, said the IB sources.

Dawood, said to be worth thousands of crores, has reportedly invested his wealth in real estate in India, Pakistan and Dubai, stock markets in Karachi and Mumbai using subsidiary firms, oil wells in West Asia and Central Asian Republics and even in production of tobacco and tobacco related products which are sold in Russia, said police sources.

Dawood reportedly controls a sizeable chunk of cotton mills in Pakistan, primarily because he was instrument­al in setting them up. When mills were being shut in Mumbai, Dawood bought machinery that was being sold by the mills through scrap merchants. These merchants then shipped the machinery toDawood who went on to set mills in Pakistan, said police sources.

 ?? HT FILE ?? Dawood Ibrahim (left) at Chhota Rajan’s wedding in 1987 (2nd from left).
HT FILE Dawood Ibrahim (left) at Chhota Rajan’s wedding in 1987 (2nd from left).

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