Dawood Ibrahim's Ties With ISI: From Mumbai Don To International Terrorist, His Role In 1993 Blasts And Beyond

Mumbai: It was in 1982 that don Dawood Ibrahim fled for Dubai from Mumbai fearing that he might be eliminated in a police encounter. It was in 1983 that I met him in Dubai In his uber luxurious palace called White House in a posh area of the city surrounded by posse of private guards.

He sent a Rolls Royce no less to pick me up from the airport. The 'bhais' who received me at the airport waved through customs and presto. I was sitting near the most dreaded don on a plush sofa.

The conversation flowed and suddenly an aide whispered something into his ear. Dawood winked at me and asked me to keep quiet while he pressed the speaker phone button of his white telephone. On the other end was an assistant commissioner of police calling from Mumbai to inform the gangster about his daughter's wedding.

Dawood comes straight to the point. He asks the cop, "How much do you want?" The cop replies: "Bhai, please give your blessings to the couple." Dawood: " "Don't worry. I will send Rs 5 lakhs by this evening." The cop profusely thanks him and cuts the call. Dawood then looked at me and said "Dekha, ye police wale mere jeb mein hai" (These cops are in my pocket.)

Since 1983 Dawood has grown by leaps and bounds. It was while he was in Dubai that Pakistan's Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) started cultivating him. It gave him a Pakistani passport and a fake ID card. He could fly to Karachi whenever he wanted. It was at that point that he made his transition from being a Don to an international terrorist.

He actively collaborated with the ISI in planning and executing the 1993 serial bomb blasts of Mumbai. Shiv Sena cadres had launched ferocious attacks on Muslims and their properties in Mumbai in January 1992 as a sequel to the Babri demolition riots. His gang members in Mumbai sent him videos of the riots and he made a common cause with the ISI to get even.

Dawood placed his entire smuggling network at the disposal of the ISI. His gang members led by Tiger Memon were asked to come to Dubai and from then on go to Pakistan for training in the use of RDX explosives. The precision with which the serial blasts were executed revealed the professional army training given to the gangsters.

Having tasted success, the ISI incorporated Dawood into its scheme of things. Its officers joined hands with Dawood in his drug and gold smuggling rackets, Bollywood financing, gun running et al. It was a win-win situation for both Dawood and the ISI.

But in the process Dawood became a virtual prisoner of the spy agency; in fact he became a big intelligence asset for Pakistan. He rubbed shoulders with the Whos Who of the defence establishment. He was surrounded by well-trained and heavily armed guards and was never allowed to leave Pakistan for Umra etc with his family.

The ISI used Dawood again in 2008 when it sent Lashkar-e-Tayyaba terrorists in Mumbai to carry out mayhem in the metropolis. The diesel smuggling network of Mohd Ali, who was a part of D gang, provided crucial local logistical support to Ajmal Kasab & Co so that they could carry out their nefarious plan with ease.

With tensions between India and Pakistan escalating once again, there are indications that the ISI may once again use Dawood to execute a diabolical operation in Mumbai. On Friday there were reports that Dawood had escaped from Pakistan. But sources in the intelligence community denied them vehemently.

"The ISI would prefer to put Dawood in a body bag, but it will never let him leave the shores of Pakistan. He is a man who knows too much about the ISI and its working in the innards of Pakistan. He will be asked to continue work for Pakistan," an official observed.

Meanwhile, the D Company is maintaining a low profile in Mumbai. But the don can activate it in no time. Inshallah.