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ShareNew Delhi: The two terror suspects arrested in the US for plotting to strike targets in Denmark and India spent significant time in Mumbai before the 26/11 attacks, authoritative sources have told DNA. While one of them operated a visa agency in Mumbai for almost two years until the latter part of 2008, the other suspect spent 10 days in the city just days before the terror strike last November.
Investigations are underway in Mumbai and elsewhere to establish whether they had any direct role in the 26/11 attacks by Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) terrorists who came to Mumbai by sea. It has always been a mystery how such a sensational attack on multiple targets in the city could have been carried out without any local support. The Mumbai police charge-sheet in the case, too, does not mention any local support.
But the latest revelations, made to DNA by authoritative sources in the security establishment, could overturn the existing claims, and provide leads to the local operations of LeT. According to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the two were in touch with senior LeT operatives and other top terrorists in Pakistan, including Ilyas Kashmiri, a dreaded terrorist with links to al-Qaeda and Huji (Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami, a Pakistan-based terrorist outfit). Kashmiri and his activities are under close watch by India, US and other global powers.
According to available information, David Coleman Headley, the Pakistan-born US citizen and one of the two arrested, ran a visa facilitation agency in Mumbai between November 2006, and July 2008. The firm, named Immigrant Law Centre, was run from AC Market, Tardeo in Mumbai.
Officially, the firm was helping unskilled and semi-skilled people to get visas for the US and Canada. During the two years, Headley travelled to India several times, often spending a couple of weeks in Mumbai and elsewhere. Investigators are struggling to piece together the details of Headley's travels, given the fact that there is very little evidence available from those days.
Headley's travels to India ended some time in July 2008, sources said. According to FBI court documents, Headley's original name was Daood Gilani, but he probably changed his name to the more American sounding one in 2006. This must have facilitated his travels in India without suspicion, sources indicate.
The second accused, Tahawwura Hussain Rana, a Pakistan-born Canadian citizen who was officially running an immigration services business in the US, too came to Mumbai, dependable sources now reveal. Rana was in Mumbai for about 10 days in November, 2008. Just five days before the attacks, Rana left the country. According to details available, he came from Dubai to Mumbai and went back to the Gulf city.The startling details have put a large number of intelligence sleuths on the trail of the two in Mumbai and elsewhere. Sources indicate that they have already questioned "some people" in Mumbai who may have worked with Headley or known him in those two years.
The FBI files
From THE FBI's criminal complaint on David C Headley: "Among other things, HEADLEY stated that beginning prior to 2006 HEADLEY worked at various times with Lashkar-e-Taiba (an organization he knew to be a designated foreign terrorist organization) and that he received training from Lashkar-e-Taiba. HEADLEY also stated that at times he worked with Ilyas Kashmiri, including in connection with planning the Denmark attack."
"HEADLEY changed his name from "Daood Gilani" in or about 2006. In an August
2009 interview with Customs and Border Patrol, HEADLEY advised that he changed his name so as to raise less suspicion when he traveled."
"Notwithstanding his apparent lack of financial resources and substantial employment, HEADLEY has engaged in extensive international travel since at least 2006, including multiple trips to Pakistan, India, Denmark, and other countries in Europe."
"Records reflecting the locations of internet protocol addresses used by HEADLEY to send emails indicate that HEADLEY has spent substantial time in Pakistan and elsewhere during the last several years - often for months at a time."
"Emails between HEADLEY and third parties reflect that Individual A was arrested by Pakistani authorities in Summer 2009 and later released. As noted above, Individual A is associated with the Lashkar-e-Taiba terrorist organization, and with Ilyas Kashmiri, a leader of Harakat-ul-Jihad-Islami ("HUJI"), a Pakistani-based terrorist organization, among other entities."
