There have also been reports of increasing apprehensions in Dubai that the criminal networks that have longoperated with impunity from this city-state's soil could now bring their gang-wars into the region - with theJanuary 19 assassination of Sharad Shetty, one of Dawood's prominent lieutenants, at the India Club in thecity setting off alarm bells. The possible loss of the very substantial Indian business in the city has alsocaused some anxiety in the city-state's trading community.
India has had an extradition treaty with the UAE since 1999, but, so far, has succeeded in securing theextradition of only seven criminals or terrorists - excluding economic offenders, and including Iqbal Kaskarand Ejaz Pathan. This includes Mohammad Altaf, the accused in the Ghatkopar bus blast at Mumbai, who wasextradited on January 26, 2003; Imran Rahman Khan, another accused in the same case, extradited on January 9;Muthapa Rai and Raju Anadkad, members of the 'D Company', extradited on May 30, 2002; and Aftab Ansari aliasFarhan Malik, the main accused in the shootout near the American Centre at Kolkata, extradited on February 9,2002.
The cumulative impact of these extraditions is negligible. The 'big fish' of the 'D Company' have easily movedfrom their headquarters in Karachi to and through Dubai on a regular basis for the past two decades. Thelatest extraditions suggest that this ease of movement may, in some measure, be curtailed by the uncertaintyof possible arrest and deportation to India, and this may have some dampening impact on the movement of thetop leadership of this organised criminal-terrorist operation.