Investigations into the Gulshan Kumar murder reveal that Dawood has shifted his fake currency business from Pakistan to Bangladesh
Investigations into the Gulshan Kumar murder reveal that Dawood has shifted his fake currency business from Pakistan to Bangladesh
Fresh investigations by Mumbai's Crime Branch indicate that Dawood Ibrahim and his associates have outsourced their counterfeit notes and 'hawala' syndicates from Pakistan to Bangladesh. Additional Commissioner of Police (Crime) Deven Bharti confirmed this, saying, "D Company has a strong presence there."
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Wanted! Abdul Rauf Merchant's phone records have revealed names of other D Company associates operating in Bangladesh. FILE PIC |
"Even Dawood's key associate Aftab Bhatki, who is masterminding the fake currency business, is operating out of Bangladesh."
According to sources, more than 150 members of the Dawood Ibrahim gang are operating from Bangladesh. A majority of them are from Mumbai and are part of the fake currency and illegal money transfer businesses.
Massive manhuntThese facts came to light after the Mumbai police launched a massive manhunt for Abdul Rauf Merchant, a key accused in the murder of music baron Gulshan Kumar.
Merchant had escaped to Bangladesh after he was released on furlough (special leave a jailed convict is entitled to) last month. Merchant soon came under the radar of the intelligence agencies when he began speaking to Dawood's right-hand-man Chhota Shakeel in Pakistan. Merchant's phone records have revealed names of other D Company associates operating in Bangladesh.
Taliban effect
With reports of the Taliban now taking over parts of Pakistan, Mumbai police officials fear that Talibanisation will force Dawood and his affiliates to shift their base or re-group in Mumbai.
They also suspect that Dawood and his men are enjoying logistic support from militant groups like the Harkat-Ul-Jehadi-Islami and other organisations affiliated to the al-Qaeda and are receiving arms supplies from troubled areas of Bangladesh.
How Dawood remains freeMumbai police have been trying to extradite Dawood Ibrahim and some of his lieutenants so that they can probe into his network in the city. He is the prime accused in the 1993 Mumbai blasts.
Each time Dawood and his men are named in cases in Mumbai, requests are sent for his extradition. So far, the city cops have sent 15 requests for the gang's extradition.
The requests are forwarded by the Central Bureau of Investigation, which is the nodal agency in India, to the Interpol, which acts as a liaising agency.
Red corner alerts are sent across the globe to collect information about the gangster's whereabouts or track him while travelling from one country to another.
The process has failed, as Dawood is known to have more than a dozen passports with different aliases. The Pakistan government feigns ignorance about his presence there.
Rs 170,000 crThe amount of fake currency in India, according to investigation agencies
