Dawood Ibrahim in good health, brother Kaskar tells NCB

Dawood Ibrahim. File pic

Dawood Ibrahim is in good health and is in Karachi, Iqbal Kaskar, brother of the underworld don told Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) in his statement on June 25. He also refuted all the reports by Indian media that claimed Dawood was suffering from various diseases.

Kaskar was taken into custody for interrogation by the NCB to unearth the underworld's drug syndicate mushrooming in Mumbai.

When Kaskar was asked about the underworld don's whereabouts during the interrogation, he had said Dawood plays badminton every day in his apartment in Pakistan, an officer of NCB on condition of anonymity said.

Also read: NCB gets custody of Iqbal Kaskar for one day

Drugs case probe

During their probe, NCB found that there are many people who have been using Kaskar's network to smuggle various quality drugs from Pakistan occupied Kashmir (Pok). Among the seven accused arrested by NCB, one of them was identified as Shabir Usman Shaikh. Shaikh was a very close aid of Kaskar who was using his network to smuggle narcotics in Mumbai.

"During Shaikh's interrogation we got the link of Kaskar and subsequently he was taken into custody for interrogation. After Kaskar's interrogation we got further leads about the other members of his gang who have been operating from Mumbai to smuggle narcotics from Pok and Afghanistan," NCB Zonal director Sameer Wankhede said.

The anti-drug agency also found direct involvement of Dawood's people including Chhota Shakeel, operating form Pakistan, in the case.

After Kaskar's interrogation, the agency has made a list of various smugglers working for the ‘D Company' and those who have been very instrumental in smuggling drugs from Pok to Mumbai. "They use various routes. One is from Jammu & Kashmir to Ajmer to Delhi to Mumbai, they go by road using two-wheelers," Wankhede added.

Based on Kaskar's interrogation, the NCB also arrested Hussain Bi from Nagpada, who was also using the same route to smuggle hashish from J&K. The agency arrested her on Sunday and found 1.8 kg Hashish worth Rs 1 crore in her possession. "She is known for the drug-related activities and using minors as a shield to evade law enforcing agencies in case of any raids or searches," Wankhede further added.

The NCB which recently arrested seven people from different parts of Maharashtra had seized 17.5 kg hashish worth Rs 9 crore smuggled from PoK. Kaskar, who was arrested in the same case, was brought to the NCB office from Thane prison on a production warrant. The NCB is now investigating if the same money earned through drug smuggling is being used in any terror activities.