IT'S probably one of the bulkiest dossiers the Intelligence Bureau has on any criminal. But despite the plethora of evidence, security agencies have been able to do precious little in getting Dawood Ibrahim—a prime accused in the 1993 Bombay bomb blast cases along with half-a-dozen others—back to the country.
The Indian government alerted the Interpol soon after Dawood allegedly killed underworld rival Samad Khan in a shootout at a lower court in Mumbai and moved to Dubai in 1987, but efforts to nab the don have come to nought. Since India does not share an extradition treaty with the United Arab Emirates government, it has got no help from there; and Pakistan denies Dawood's presence in the country. This despite the fact that Dawood, according to latest intelligence reports, has been living in a palatial house on Kayawane Street in Karachi since March 10, 1993. But given the information agencies have on his links with Brig. Imtiaz of the ISI, the Pakistan government's stand falls in place.
For the Indian government, it is a no-win situation. In the UAE, for instance, visas of Dawood and his groupies are sponsored by top Dubai industrialists and police offi-cials. Last year, former CBI director Joginder
Singh's efforts to coax the Dubai police
There is information that Dawood has used his base in Karachi to expand operations in the narcotics trade. Records show that raw heroin is processed in Pakistan, smuggled into India through the Gujarat coast and packed off to Sri Lanka and East Africa from where it is transferred to ocean liners. Estimates made by the Narcotics Control Bureau show that for each consignment of heroin that Dawood manages to despatch to the US, he makes a neat $200 million.
While mobility for the jet-setting Dawood has been restricted since brother Anees' arrest last January, there is information that he makes his bi-annual trips to Mecca and travels to South-east Asian countries like Malaysia and Singapore on a fake passport. And not always alone. Last year, for instance, he travelled to Jeddah with wife Mehjabin and younger brothers Mushtaqin and Humayun. But for the star-struck Dawood—who intelligence records say arranged a white Rolls Royce for actress Sridevi when she visited Dubai for a week in 1992—life in Karachi is quite staid. There are no birthday bashes; no mujra parties and no holidays in Switzerland.
But the link with Bollywood lingers. A rough estimate put together by intelligence agencies shows that the 'D' Company had pumped in nearly Rs 100 crore in the movie business between 1995-96. Last year, his hitman, Abu Salem, who was recruited by Anees, gave out a 'supari' against film maestro Mani Ratnam. The plan misfired. Gulshan Kumar wasn't that lucky.
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