Dawood kin plan to start businesses in India

By Jigna Vora

Mumbai

June 2: Mafia don Dawood Ibrahim’s brothers plan to start legitimate businesses in India by using funds created on the back of gangland operations spread across West Asia, Europe and Africa, said intelligence officials.

Humayun, Noora and Mustaqeen are currently based in Dubai with their families. Noora and Mustaqeen take care of the hawala business — the "D-Gang’s" main money-spinner along with drugs — and also play nurse to Humayun, who is almost always in hospital for cancer treatment. However, Indian intelligence and security agencies do not have any case against either Noora or Mustaqeen.

"We feel that due to US pressure on Pakistan, Dawood would not like Humayun to be treated in Pakistan," said a source from state intelligence. The nationality on their passports is, however, proving to be a major obstacle, officials said. "As everyone from Dawood’s family holds passports issued in Pakistan, they are facing problems coming back. But the Kaskar brothers have already started talking to some Mumbai-based lawyers to find some way out," said a source close to Kaskar family.

The source said that initially, when they fled India, they had Indian passports that expired in the late 1990s. They then started staying in the UAE under fake passports forged in Pakistan. "But they have already applied for exit documents in Dubai, which will allow them to move to India," said the source.

"Last month Humayun’s wife was in the city after her father died. The three brothers will be coming alone and their families will not accompany them. Even Iqbal Kaskar’s family is based in Dubai," added the source. A warning has, however, been sounded by Mumbai joint commissioner of police (crime branch) Rakesh Maria, an old hand at anti-gangland operations. "If the Kaskar brothers think that we will not take any action against them, we will show them how misplaced their confidence is," said Mr Maria.