Forty-year-old Firoz, carrying a reward of Rs2 lakh on his head, was handed over to the CBI which is investigating the case, the police said today.
The Mumbai Crime Branch managed to arrest one more fugitive criminal involved in the sensational 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case. Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan alias Hamza, 40, was the lieutenant of the notorious criminal and blast accused Mohammad Dossa.
According to the police, he was arrested at Kopri in Navi Mumbai on Friday night at around 9.30pm on the receipt of specific information. The arrest was made by Unit III of crime branch, said police inspector Dinesh Kadam.
“He was instrumental in the landing of arms and explosives and also the transportation of ammo in 1993. After the case was detected, he had thrown a few explosives into the Khandargaon creek,” said joint commissioner of police, crime, Rakesh Maria.
Maria said that Hamza had escaped to Kathmandu in March 1993 where he had procured a fake passport in the name of Firozuddin. He later moved to Dubai. Hamza visited Pakistan thrice and also attended a wedding.
“He had met underworld gangster Dawood Ibrahim and had also stayed at his residence twice. In 2005, he came to India and got himself a fake passport on which he traveled to Oman. He again returned to India on February 3,” Maria said. Hamza has been shuttling between India, Oman and Dubai running a business in mobile phone parts, he added.
Hamza’s name is mentioned in the 1993 blast case chargesheet and the CBI had announced a reward of Rs2 lakh for anyone providing leads to him. His custody has been given to the CBI. He was produced before the TADA court, which has remanded him to police custody till February 15, said additional commissioner Deven Bharti.
“Hamza has told us not only about Dawood, but also Tiger Memon and Chhota Shakeel. He also revealed that Mustafa Dossa is presently in the Gulf,” said an officer.
Hamza’s father was a petty officer in Indian Navy and retired in 1983. The family first lived in Colaba and then in the Kurla Taximen Colony. Hamza was initially an electronic goods dealer in Crawford Market. He then met Mustafa who was then into smuggling business.
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