Abingdonboy
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By Udayan Namboodiri
A poster of Yasin Bhatkal, an alleged co-founder of the Indian Mujahideen, burns after being set on fire by demonstrators celebrating his arrest in Bangalore on August 29th. Bhatkal is one of several high-profile terrorists to be arrested recently and authorities are hoping information he provides leads to the capture of Dawood Ibrahim. [Manjunath Kiran/AFP]
The alleged terrorist kingpin has eluded Indian police for over 20 years, who is being sought for organising the 1993 Bombay blasts that killed more than 250 people. But Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde told reporters recently that it is only a matter of time before Dawood Ibrahim is arrested and tried.
"We will bring them one by one. All will come. Just wait," Shinde said September 1st when asked whether India's recent spate of success with wanted terrorists would be capped with Dawood.
The back-to-back arrests of Abdul Karim Tunda and Yasin Bhatkal last month led to the exposure of many previously unknown facts about Dawood, officials say.
Tunda, an explosives expert for Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) who allegedly planned and executed several deadly bombings in the 1990s, was found under mysterious circumstances near the Nepal-India border on August 16th. Though the one-armed alleged terrorist is thought to have been sidelined by LeT in recent years, the authorities nevertheless consider him a treasure trove of intelligence concerning the terror network.
Bhatkal, the co-founder of Indian Mujahideen (IM), was also arrested near the Nepal-India border. The Indian government was frustrated by repeated close calls as the 35-year-old had mastered the art of disguise and adhered to minimal telephone use.
Soon, experts say, it may be Dawood's turn.
"For a long time Dawood was considered beyond the arm of Indian law6 and Bhatkal," recently retired Home Secretary R.K. Singh told Khabar South Asia.
Although its role has not been corroborated, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has been cited in Indian media reports as having played a hand in the recent captures. If so, the assistance would represent another striking example of Arab countries' increasing exasperation with terrorist groups, and a growing willingness to help keep them in check.
"In the past despite extradition treaties we got no co-operation from the Arab world," former diplomat and current Congress party MP Mani Shankar Aiyar told Khabar. "Things are changing now thanks to patient diplomacy and changed geopolitical realities."
Co-operation with Saudi Arabia reportedly led to the June 2012 extradition and arrest of Abdul Sattar, Sayed Zabiuddin Ansar alias Abu Jindal and Abu Hamza. In October of the same year, Riyadh also extradited suspected Indian Mujahideen operative Fasih Mahmood.
Meanwhile, several countries in South Asia are keen to see Dawood in custody. His apparent links to al-Qaeda resulted in his being placed on a UN watch list. He is also believed to be running a variety of cross-border crime operations in the region.
"He is at the root of many of the criminal operations which undermine the economies [of South Asia], Nepal Home Secretary Navin Kumar Ghimire told Khabar.
Dawood has also been named in connection with a huge illegal betting ring that has tainted the popular sport. Three top cricketers, who were arrested after Delhi Police wiretapped their phones, made confessions which led to several bookies being nabbed, most of whom revealed links with Dawood's "D Company" gang.
"The D-Company is into real estate deal making, drug running, cricket betting, film financing and a host of other operations. Getting Dawood would not only help close the 1993 bomb blast case but also end various other illegal rackets in the country," Mumbai Police Commissioner Satyapal Singh told Khabar.
India closing in on Dawood - khabarsouthasia.com
All good stuff, India is systematically bringing these scum to justice thanks to help from once terrorist-havens. Too bad the biggest terror-haven of them all is still up to its old tricks and this pretty much free from Indian hands.
