The men who fund terror strikes in India
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With the patronage of the
ISI, Dawood Ibrahim and his aides continue to run a major fake currency
racket that funds terror activities in India, says Vicky Nanjappa.
The
dossier that will be handed over to Pakistan by Indian authorities on
March 28-29 -- when the two sides hold much-anticipated talks --
includes the names of nearly 400 terrorists who are believed to be
hiding in the neighbouring country.
A major challenge for Indian investigating agencies is tracking down and blocking the flow of funds for terror activities.
According
to these agencies, fake currency rackets are the main source of funding
for terror activities. Underworld don Dawood Ibrahim is considered to
be a key player in this racket, which is run by his aides Aftab Bakti
and Babu Gaithan.
While
these two men are believed to be hiding in the United Arab Emirates,
Indian authorities will bring up the issue during talks with Pakistan
officials, as the fake currency is printed in that country.
Hyderabad is an important base for fake currency racket
Indian agencies
believe that Bakti, who hails from Maharashtra and has a strong network
in Hyderabad, is a key player in this racket.
Bakti
initially operated from his bases in India and then shifted to
Pakistan, before settling in UAE. Pakistan authorities have the power to
curtail Bakti's activities and provide vital information about him, say
Indian investigators.
Bakti
has managed to create a dedicated route for the circulation of fake
currency notes, using Hyderabad as an important base for his operations.
The city police had confiscated a major cache of fake currency right
before twin blasts rocked Hyderabad.
Along
with Gaithan, who operates from Dubai, Bakti had recruited several
construction site workers who were used as carriers of these fake notes
between India and the UAE.
The duo has also set up modules in various states which carry out operations of this racket.
What
Pakistan will need to monitor is the flow of notes from that country
into the UAE from where it is pumped into India. The notes are all
printed in Pakistan on high-quality machinery, say sources in
intelligence agencies.
Bakti
has been under the scanner of Indian agencies for quite some time. A
couple of years back, the Central Bureau of Investigation had moved a
court in UAE seeking his extradition. A look-out notice was issued
against Bhakti in 2002. But in spite of these measures, Indian security
agencies have failed to get access to him.
According to sources, Bhakti is 53-years-old and is fluent in Hindi, Urdu and English.
Indian agencies
say that Pakistan authorities have to be answerable for his activities
as Bhakti runs his fake currency network via Pakistan and Dubai.
With
the patronage of the Inter Services Intelligence, Dawood Ibrahim and
his aides continue to procure high-quality paper from London and print
fake notes that are virtually indistinguishable from the original.
The
terrorists running the racket are constantly innovating to counter
attempts to shut down their activities by Indian agencies. They are also
strengthening their network in southern states like Tamil Nadu and
Kerala, say security agencies.
It
is important for the Indian delegation to bring up this pertinent issue
during the bilateral talks, feel security agencies, so that Pakistan is
forced to take some steps to decisively end this vicious cycle.
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