The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday carried out raids in as many as 24 locations in Mumbai against the associates and other hawala operatives of Indian-origin Pakistan based terrorist Dawood Ibrahim. Four people, including Sohail Khandwani, trustee of Haji Ali Dargah and Mahim Dargah have been detained. The raids began at his residence and a CRPF guard has been deployed.
In a statement, the NIA said that 24 locations were raided across Mumbai in connection to case no. RC-01/2022/NIA/MUM against Dawood Ibrahim. The case was registered suo moto by the NIA on 3rd February 2022. The NIA said that the case pertains to terror, criminal activities of international terrorist network of D company involving Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar and his associates including Haji Anees alias Anees Ibrahim Shaikh, Shakeel Shaikh alias Chhota Shakeel, Javed Patel alias Javed Chikna and Ibrahim Mushtaq Abdul Razzaq Memon alias Tiger Memon. These are indulging in Arms smuggling, narco terrorism, money laundering, circulation of FICN and are also involved in terror funding activities with active collaboration with international terror organisations like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad and Al Qaeda.
Electronic devices, documents of investments in real estate, cash and fire arms were seized in the raids.
As per reports, several locations in Mumbai like Nagpada, Goregaon, Borivali, Santacruz, Mumbra, Bhendi Bazar, Bandra, Kurla and Mahim were raided. Other than Sohail Khandwani, Sameer Hingora was detained from Delite apartment in Bandra and one Kayyum was detained from Mahim. Sameer Hingora is film producer who was accused of transporting weapons to Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt after the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts.
Salim Qureshi aka Salim Sayyed aka Salim Fruit, an associate of Chhota Shakeel, was also detained at his residence at Grant road in Mumbai. Some important documents were seized from him in the raids.
The NIA had filed the case against the gangsters under the UAPA in February 2022 and many including Salim Fruit were interrogated. The crackdown on hawala operators has increased since Enforcement Directorate (ED) arrested NCP leader Nawab Malik over his alleged links to Dawood Ibrahim. Malik is accused of usurping large piece of land with help of Dawood’s sister Haseena Parkar in Kurla and paid some amount to her as well as 1993 Mumbai serial blast convict Sardar Shahvali Khan.