UK govt seizes Dawood Ibrahim’s properties

New Delhi: The UK government has seized properties belonging to fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim. The assets which have been seized include his properties in Midlands.

The action against Dawood comes nearly two years after Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s UK tour. Mr Modi, during his November 12-14, 2015 tour, had reportedly handed over a dossier concerning the underworld gangster to his then British counterpart David Cameron. According to reports Dawood is one of the richest gangsters of all time.

Dawood is currently on the wanted list of Interpol for organised crime and counterfeiting, besides for his association with Al Qaeda as identified in the UNSC resolutions. The Interpol has already issued a “red-corner” notice against him. Reports suggest that Dawood owns a hotel in Warwickshire and other residential properties across the Midlands. It is believed that Dawood’s total assets are worth $6.7 billion.

Dawood reportedly appeared on the UK treasury department’s “Consolidated List of Financial Sanctions Targets in the UK” updated on Monday, with three recorded addresses in Pakistan, where he is reportedly based.

Amid reports that the properties of Dawood have been seized by the UK government, Union minister V.K. Singh on Wednesday said, “We can’t let the cat out of the bag”. Talking to media persons in Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala), Singh said, “We will not talk about Dawood at all. Certain things are happening. We can’t let the cat be let out of the bag”.

Dawood is the main accused in the 1993 serial blasts case in which around 260 people were killed.  He fled the country post the bombings and is understood to be hiding in Pakistan. The CBI, Interpol in India, has already provided Dawood address — house no. 37, 30th street, Defence Housing Authority, Karachi, as his permanent address in Pakistan to the Interpol. Besides, palatial bungalow in the hilly area of Noorabad in Karachi and a property at Margalla Road F-6/2, street No. 22, house number 29, in the same city, have already been provided as other addresses of the underworld don. Besides, his passport details, including the Indian passport number A-333602 issued in Mumbai on June 4, 1985 (which has already been revoked by the Government of India) and another Indian passport number M110522 issued in Mumbai on Nov. 13, 1978, have also been provided by the CBI. The details about his other Indian passport numbers including R841697 issued in Mumbai on Nov. 26, 1981, and F823692 on September 2, 1989, too have already been given to the Interpol as well as the UN.