On the 15th of June, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) filed a charge sheet against 13 suspects for trying to revive LTTE, out of which 10 were reportedly Sri Lankan nationals and three others were Indian nationals. The NIA has been investigating the illicit trade of contraband substances and weapons, for a very long time now. During this probe, the agency found out that Pakistan-based outfits have been making efforts to resurrect the banned terror outfit Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in Sri Lanka and India.
As per media reports, experts reveal that Indian agencies have discovered that a Karachi-based gangster Haji Salim, an aide of notorious terrorist Dawood Ibrahim, is one of the kingpins responsible for hatching the revival of the proscribed terror outfit, LTTE. For this sinister purpose, he has been carrying out large-scale smuggling of drugs and arms in India and the sub-continent.
Haji Salim: Kingpin of drugs and weapons smuggling
Haji Salim is also said to be the kingpin of the multimillion-dollar drug network operating in Pakistan and the Indian Ocean. Nearly 70% of the drug trafficking in India comes through sea routes and the majority of this consignment is facilitated by his network alone.
The officials involved in the case claim that the mastermind of this drug and weapons network, Salim has been closely working with India’s most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim and Pakistan’s notorious spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). Apparently, Salim has been seen multiple times visiting Dawood Ibrahim’s Clifton Road residence in Karachi. It is suspected that both of them have pooled their resources for smuggling contraband substances and weapons in India.
In its charge sheet filed last week, the NIA highlighted that Sri Lankan drug mafia members were sourcing drugs from Haji Salim. The charge sheet said, “The accused used various foreign WhatsApp numbers to carry out the clandestine trade.”
Salim was also framed in the charge sheet filed last week. The case relates to the smuggling of 40kg of heroin and pistols using a boat named Al-Soheli in December last year. In this operation, the Gujarat Anti-Terrorist Squad arrested 10 Pakistani individuals.
A security official said, “Even though D-Company’s network was eliminated by Indian agencies in the late 90s, it is possible his old contacts may be working with Salim’s syndicate as the drug trade via maritime and land route has exploded after Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021. Salim has been seen at Dawood’s residence in Karachi and is protected by armed guards round the clock.”
There have been extensive media reports that Salim works with ISI and the terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). He also oversees the drug smuggling network operating in India, the Maldives, Sri Lanka, and Middle Eastern countries.
Furthermore, his cartel operates many clandestine laboratories in Balochistan. Reportedly, Salim uses code numbers and code names to label heroin packets in Afghanistan to hide his direct connection. Some of the different symbols or inscriptions are as ‘555’, ‘999’, ‘Unicorn’, and ‘Dragon’.
Joint operation and widespread Crackdown
In a collaborative effort to combat this illicit trade, multiple prominent Indian agencies have joined forces to dismantle this criminal network. These include the Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), the National Investigation Agency (NIA), and the Directorate of Revenue and Intelligence (DRI). Together, they are working closely to identify the Indian contacts and handlers associated with Haji Salim and Dawood Ibrahim’s D-Company.
Last month, the NCB and the navy launched a joint operation and seized 2,500kg of high-purity methamphetamine worth ₹12,000 crores. Reportedly, they made these seizures by intercepting a mother ship in the Indian Ocean.
The consignment was sent from Makran coast in Balochistan province. Apparently, this region falls in the death crescent (a term coined by Home Minister Amit Shah for the smuggling route of Iran, Pakistan, and Afghanistan).
In its annual report for 2022, the NCB said, “The maritime drug trafficking in the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal poses new challenges to drug law enforcement agencies and they anticipate a further increase of this route by international drug trafficking syndicates operating from Pakistan and Afghanistan.”
According to the first official mentioned, the government has allocated extra funds to the NCB and other agencies in order to improve surveillance of Indian waters.
Ports are now conducting thorough inspections of all suspicious containers, ensuring a 100% checking rate.
Additionally, the NCB has identified specific sites at international borders and inland locations where mobile vehicle scanners will be installed. Currently, the Home Ministry is looking for technological solutions to scan containers.