Dawood Ibrahim Aide Deported from Dubai to India

Underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’s key conspirator Yasin Mansoor Mohammed Farooq, alias Farooq Takla, was deported from Dubai to Delhi, and arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) at the Indira Gandhi International Airport on March 8. He was then brought to Mumbai and will be produced before the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) court.

Farooq, 57, had escaped from India after the 1993 Mumbai blasts. He was charged with criminal conspiracy, murder, attempt to murder, voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means and several other illegal activities.

After reaching Mumbai, Farooq was interrogated by CBI. The agency said that Farooq and his brother, Mohmad Ahmad Mansoor, provided logistical support to some of those who were accused of perpetrating the series of blasts in Mumbai. The brothers provided a haven for them in Dubai and sent them to Pakistan for arms training. Mansoor was arrested and released due to lack of evidence.

In 1995, a red corner notice was issued by the Interpol against Farooq so that all law enforcement agencies collaborating with Interpol could seek and arrest him.

“This is a huge success. He was involved in 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts the links of which can be traced back to Dubai. This is a big-blow to D-Gang,” special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told news agency ANI.

Farooq’s arrest is being seen as a victory for India, which has been saying that there are safe havens for terrorists in neighboring countries. India had earlier arrested another key aide of Dawood Ibrahim — Abu Salem. However, his extradition from Portugal reportedly came with a condition that there would be no capital punishment.

Salem is serving a life sentence in Mumbai while Yakub Memon, another aide of Dawood Ibrahim, was hanged to death in 2015.

In the Mumbai blasts in 1993, 12 bombs detonated at different locations, killing 257 people and injuring 700. Dawood Ibrahim has been listed as a global terrorist by a committee of the UN Security Council.

In August 2017, he was included by the United Kingdom in its list called the ‘Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets in the UK’ to freeze his assets. It contained 21 aliases for the underworld don. The list also included three recorded addresses in Pakistan, where he is reportedly based.