Mumbai: Benami properties under radar, ED to interlink all cases against D-Gang

To begin its investigation from next week, the Mumbai zonal office of Enforcement Directorate (ED) is likely to approach Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (SAFEMA) (Forfeiture of Property) to seek properties details of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his relatives. Since last few years, SAFEMA has been trying to auction Dawood's properties.

"Our major focus is the benami properties of Dawood and his relatives in Mumbai and across India that  developed through extortion money. We will examine all these properties and its source of income. If found illegal, then these properties would get attached without any delay," said  a source from the ED.

As of now, the ED is depending on the investigation details to be provided by Thane police in Kaskar case. But to cross-examine these details, the agency would also collate all crucial information on D-Gang and its operation from other investigative agencies as well, such as CBI, NIA, SAFEMA and IB. In fact, the agency has also revived its informers to share the latest extortion trend with them.

There is a high possibility that all these years, Kaskar has laundered the extortion money via hawala or shell companies to Dawood in the neighbouring or tax haven countries. "If we get any leads from the accused or the complaint then a letter rogatory (LRs) would be issued to concerned countries seeking details of bank accounts and financial transactions", the source said.

In next fortnight, the ED officials are expected to interrogate Kaskar, who is the main accused in the complaints filed by a builder and one jeweller before Thane Police with an allegation of extortion. "Once Kaskar gets the judicial custody, our team would make a visit in jail to record his statement", the source said.

In the third case registered on Tuesday, all three brothers, Dawood Ibrahim, Anees Ibrahim and Iqbal Kaskar were named as accused, where they extorted Rs 3 crore from a Mumbai-based builder, against a plot worth Rs 200 crore.

Interestingly, the FIR names Dawood as first accused while Anees as second and Iqbal as the third accused, police said.

A senior ED official told Indiatoday.in that these cases may look insignificant, but once all these cases and many others gets "inter-linked", it would become a stronger case against Dawood and Kaskar under the money laundering act.

The agency believes that once a full-fledged investigation begins, many more victims would lodge complaint against D-Gang.

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