Social media has been flooded with claims of the death of gangster Dawood Ibrahim, allegedly poisoned by unknown individuals on December 15 and succumbing to health complications on December 17.
These rumours gained traction with the circulation of a fake message attributed to Pakistan's caretaker Prime Minister Anwar ul Haq Kakar.
What is the claim?
Pakistan's caretaker Prime Minister Anwar ul Haq Kakar confirmed the death of Dawood Ibrahim.
The viral message, supposedly from Mr. Kakar's account, read, "The Messiah of humanity, dear to every Pakistani heart, our beloved His Excellency Dawood Ibrahim passed away due to being poisoned by unknown [individuals]. He breathed his last in a hospital in Karachi. May Allah grant him the highest position in Jannat. Inna Lillahi wa inna ilayhi raji'un."
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What did we find?
We checked Anwar ul Haq Kakar's X account and didn't find the mentioned tweet. His last post on X was on December 16.
Notably, the username depicted in the viral screenshot does not align with Mr. Kakar's official account, with an additional 'k' causing the discrepancy.
Though it is not clear whether Dawood Ibrahim is dead or alive, the tweet doing rounds is fake.
Who is Dawood Ibrahim?
Dawood Ibrahim is an Indian mob boss and a drug lord hailing from Dongri, Mumbai, who is sought after by the Indian government. He reportedly leads the Indian organised crime syndicate D-Company, which he established in Mumbai during the 1970s.
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Wanted on charges such as murder, extortion, targeted killing, drug trafficking, and terrorism, Ibrahim was designated a global terrorist by India and the United States in 2003. A reward of US$25 million is offered for his suspected role in the 1993 Bombay bombings.
In 2011, he was named number three on "The World's 10 Most Wanted Fugitives" by the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation and Forbes.
