New Delhi: A mysterious campaign of targeted killings has been unleashed on anti-India terrorists and criminals in Pakistan, leaving the country’s intelligence agency ISI clueless and baffled. According to sources in the underworld, the notorious don Dawood Ibrahim, who is wanted by India for his involvement in the 1993 Mumbai bombings and other crimes, has once again escaped from his hideout in Karachi, Pakistan, fearing for his life. He has now relocated to Jeddah, a city in Saudi Arabia that is considered a safe haven for him. Along with him, three of his most trusted and loyal associates have also moved to Jeddah. Sources say that Dawood has a close relationship with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is the de facto ruler of Saudi Arabia and the prime minister since 2022. Dawood reportedly enjoys the protection and patronage of the crown prince, who is also known for his ambitious economic and social reforms under the Saudi Vision 2030 plan. On the request of ISI and based on this relationship, the fugitive don has secured a new sanctuary in Jeddah, where he hopes to evade the unknown attackers who are hunting him down.
Here is a brief history of Dawood Ibrahim’s criminal activities:
- Dawood Ibrahim started his criminal career in the late 1970s when he joined the gang of local don Baashu Dada in Dongri, Mumbai. He later formed his gang with his elder brother Shabir Ibrahim Kaskar, who was killed by the rival Pathan gang in 1981. Dawood then became his gang’s sole boss, which became known as the D-Company.
- Dawood Ibrahim was mainly involved in gold smuggling, real estate, extortion, and drug trafficking. He also had links with politicians, bureaucrats, film stars, and businessmen. He fled from India to Dubai in 1986 after being wanted by the Mumbai Police for the murder of Samad Khan, a member of the Pathan gang.
- The Indian government named Dawood Ibrahim as one of the masterminds of the 1993 Mumbai bombings, which killed 257 people and injured over 700. He allegedly planned and financed the attacks with the help of his associates Tiger Memon and Yakub Memon, who were also his relatives. The bombings were said to be a retaliation for the demolition of the Babri Masjid by Hindu extremists in 1992.
- Following the bombings, Dawood Ibrahim fled Dubai for Karachi, Pakistan, where he is said to live to this day. He is believed to be under the protection and patronage of the Pakistani intelligence agency ISI, which uses him for its anti-India agenda. He is also said to have ties with terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda and Lashkar-e-Taiba and to have provided logistics for the 2008 Mumbai attacks, which killed 166 people and injured over 300.
- Dawood Ibrahim is currently wanted by India, the United States, and Interpol for various charges, including criminal conspiracy, running an organized crime syndicate, terrorism, murder, extortion, drug trafficking, and money laundering. He is designated as a global terrorist by India and the United States and has a reward of US$25 million on his head. He is also ranked as the third most wanted fugitive in the world by the FBI.
- Dawood Ibrahim’s current criminal activities include terror financing, drug trafficking, gunrunning, extortion and money laundering. He has also made significant investments in real estate in Karachi, Dubai and India. He has a close relationship with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who is said to provide him a safe haven in Jeddah, where he occasionally visits. He has also shifted some of his trusted associates to Jeddah, fearing for his life from unknown attackers who are selectively killing anti-India terrorists and criminals in Pakistan.
