The most wanted Indian fugitive is believed to have gone into hiding in the tribal belt along the mountainous Pak-Afghanistan border.
LAHORE: Acting on a tip-off from US intelligence, the Afghan National Army and Afghan Border Security Force have launched a clandestine operation to hunt Dawood Ibrahim. The most wanted Indian fugitive is believed to have shifted from Islamabad and gone into hiding in the tribal belt along the mountainous Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Though Pakistan continues to deny Dawood’s presence in the country, US intelligence operatives in Peshawar have conceded that the tribal belt, which was earlier being searched for Al Qaeda chief Osama bin Laden and his lieutenant Ayman al-Zawahiri, is being combed for the main accused in the March 1993 Mumbai blasts.
A well-placed diplomatic source in Islamabad said the hunt was launched after the June 3 decision by US President George Bush to add three drug-traffickers - including Dawood - and two crime organisations to the US list of foreign drug kingpins.
The source said India has also officially asked Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai’s government to help with Dawood’s arrest. Consequently, the army and the Afghan BSF were asked to include his name in the list of most wanted terrorists. Three pictures of Dawood have been provided for the hunt - clean shaven, with moustache, and bearded.
The lingering issue of Dawood’s extradition was raised at the Indo-Pak secretary-level talks in Islamabad in May. Though the Pakistanis expressed ignorance about his whereabouts, the Indians believed he had sanctuary in Pakistan.
DNA had reported in May that Dawood had moved to a safe house in Islamabad. According to one theory doing the rounds in Peshawar, Dawood’s contacts in Pakistani intelligence convinced him to move after the reports that embarrassed Pakistan.
Fugitive trail
- Dawood Ibrahim is believed to be hiding in tribal areas on the Pak-Afghan border
- Afghan National Army, Afghan Border Security Force are hunting for him
- Three of his pictures — clean shaven, with moustache, and bearded — have been provided for the hunt
- Pakistan continues to deny his presence in the country
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