British probe agencies to act against Dawood's front man

Calcutta News.Net
Thursday 4th September, 2008 (IANS)

A British probe agency will soon freeze the assets of Salim Mohammad Ghaus, a front man of India's most wanted fugitive Dawood Ibrahim, based on the evidence provided by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), a CBI official said.

The National Terrorist Financial Investigation Unit (NTFIU) of New Scotland Yard has recommended the probe against Ghaus on the basis of a "suspicious account report" given by the Citibank Group.

"The NTFIU came to know about the involvement of Ghaus in a 'gutkha-underworld nexus case' in India and it sought assistance of the CBI in confiscating his assets," a CBI official said Thursday.

Gutkha baron Jagdish M. Joshi, along with Rasiklal Dhariwal of Manikchand Gutkha, is accused of helping Dawood Ibrahim's brother Anees Ibrahim set up a gutkha (tobacco) manufacturing factory in Karachi in return for settling a financial dispute between him and Dhariwal.

The New Scotland Yard has located about $4.3 million belonging to Ghaus and needs assistance from the CBI to freeze the assets.

As per the CBI probe, Ghaus was operating M/s Golden Box Trading Company in Dubai, a front company of the organised syndicate of Ibrahim Kaskar, Dawood's brother.

A delegation of British officers visited India in May 2007, and discussed the case with a team of CBI officers. In February 2008, the Serious Organized Crime Agency of Britain formally sought assistance from the CBI to initiate civil proceedings against Ghaus in the British High court to the tune of 2.7 million pounds under its Proceeds of Crime Act, 2002.

The New Scotland Yard also moved the CBI for assistance to initiate a case against Ghaus for another sum of 1.6 million pounds under the act.

After considering the requests, India agreed to the terms of the Mutual Legal Agreement Treaty between India and Britain.

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