NIA raids Dawood's men: 1993 bomb blast accused Samir Hingora, who gave AK-56 to Sanjay Dutt, among held

The National Investigative Agency (NIA) on Monday conducted multiples raids in Mumbai and adjoining Thane districts on Dawood aides - hawala operators and drug traffickers. Among the dozens of suspects held in the raids is 1993 Bombay Blast accused film producer Sameer Hingora who had given the AK-56 rifle to actor Sanjay Dutt.

Apart from Samir, Dawood Ibrahim lieutenant Chhota Shakeel brother in law Salim Qureshi, Suhail Khandwani, Managing Trustee Mahim Dargah and Haji Ali Dargah, Abdul Kayyum and were amongst suspects held in raids at Bandra, Nagpada, Borivali, Goregaon, Parel, Santacruz against sharpshooters, drug traffickers, hawala operators, real estate managers and other key players in the criminal syndicate.

The elite counter terror unit conducted raids at a housing society in Mumbai's Nagpada area, Bhendi Bazar, Santacruz, Mahim, Goregaon areas of Mumbai, Mumbra in Thane and other places against several hawala operators and drug traffickers linked with Dawood gang.

Based on the NIA FIR, ED had filed a money laundering case in which NCP leader and MVA minister Nawab Malik was arrested for usurping a prime property in Mumbai’s Kurla with D-Company help.

ED and NIA were probing the fugitive gangsters close aides-- Chhota Shakeel, Javed Chikna, Tiger Menon, Iqbal Mirchi and sister Haseena Parkar.

The FIR invokes the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) and NIA is monitoring and probing criminal and terrorist acts committed by members of the crime network run by don Dawood Ibrahim based in Karachi, Pakistan.

Pakistan government recently sanctioned Dawood Ibrahim and 87 others for terror-related activities to evade being put on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) grey list.

Published on: Monday, May 09, 2022, 06:06 PM IST