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| India-Pakistan |
| Dawood Ibrahim now in the same class as al-Qaeda brass |
| 2006-02-16 |
| Police forces around the world will soon turn on the heat against underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. With Interpol now set to issue a 'Special Notice' against the global terrorist, his ability to travel on a Pakistani passport will be curtailed. The special notice is a rare classification. It would have intelligence details of the wanted person's assumed names, passports, travel records and photographs, including latest ones which could have even been the result of plastic surgery. This information would make it difficult for the wanted person to travel. Interpol has slotted some 208 individuals in this category. As of now, only four notices have been issued. These are for top Al-Qaida operatives — Al-Zarqawi, the terror organisation's pointman in Iraq, Ramzi Mohammed Abdullah, a Yemen national, Lionel DuMont, a French citizen and Tariq Anwar al-Sayeed, an Egyptian. Dawood is now set to join this select group of highly wanted terror suspects. The mastermind behind the Mumbai blasts is clearly in a bind. His recent move to get his legal consultant to approach the media objecting to remarks labelling him a terrorist indicates his anticipating the Interpol notice. CBI sleuths, looking for the don in connection with the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, believe the new notice also makes it more difficult for Dawood's mentors in the secretive Pakistani intelligence-military establishment to protect him. Though he has not been staying at his Karachi house off late, he has been well ensconced in Pakistan. "Since the new notice would be backed by the UNSC, it would be difficult for Pakistan to dodge UN authorities by allowing him to travel on a Pakistani passport and maintain his bank accounts there," said an official of the National Central Bureau (Interpol), New Delhi. Dawood appears to be perturbed over the impending new notice even as he has been dodging Interpol with relative ease for the last 13 years, despite having a Red Corner Notice (RCN) against him. The NCB official said the SN would be more comprehensive. Interpol had decided to issue the S N against certain individuals associated with Al-Qaida in September last year. "New names would be added to the SN list once the Interpol would compile all the data following intelligence inputs," said an official. The Interpol's move will also result in his accounts being frozen world-wide after the Interpol-United Nations Security Council 'Special Notice' becomes effective. This is seen to be a much more potent measure than the existing RCN against Dawood. One Meraj Siddique, said to be Dawood's legal consultant in UK, contacted a TV channel in India and allegedly expressed the don's wish to face trial in London. Besides, Siddique also objected to media reports calling his client a terrorist. The terrorist's move is seen to be ploy to get his name cleared from the British courts, on the lines of the strategy adopted by music director Nadeem while contesting India's extradition plea in connection with the Gulshan Kumar murder case. CBI officials, however, do not see any parallel between Dawood and Nadeem. They said that Dawood, who was designated a global terrorist by US authorities in 2003, would have to come to India to face trial, on the lines of another bomb blasts accused Abu Salem who had to return from Portugal. Indian investigators said that there was a clear difference between a terrorist and a criminal. Even the UN had put Dawood's name in the list of individuals associated with Al-Qaida after CBI managed to marshal clear cut evidence against him, explained sleuths. Once a SN is issued against the don, his details will be circulated to police around the globe and added to the Interpol's database. It will help Interpol member countries to effectively curtail his movements. |
| Posted by:Dan Darling |
| #1 This Special Notice was probably instigated by the Mafia. They objected to a Paki stooge named Dagwood being called a 'don'. |
| Posted by: Inspector Clueso 2006-02-16 10:04 |