'Dawood may have got key aide Jabir arrested in UK'

MUMBAI: Is fugitive gangster don Dawood Ibrahim shunting out his aides he does not trust?

If sources are to be believed, after showing his most loyal lieutenant Chhota Shakeel his place, Dawood, who has been unwell for some time, wants his family to take control of all his businesses. Key aide Jabir Moti's recent arrest in London is seen as one such move. Indian intelligence sources told TOI that Dawood himself might have got Jabir arrested .

"Dawood has been unwell for the past few months and wants to wind up his businesses in not only in the UK and the US but also in Asian and African countries. He wants brother Anees Ibrahim and his kin to take over his other business responsibilities. Perhaps, he does not want his kin to face the problems he did," said a source.

Meanwhile, Jabir's arrest in London appears to have brought a ray of hope for security agencies that are probing the kidnap of business tycoon Pramod Goenka (52) in Mozambique earlier this year.

Sources said Indian security agencies are exploring if they can approach London police through Interpol. They said though Indian security agencies will not be able to access Jabir in London police's custody, Interpol can interrogate him in the presence of UK police.

Jabir, a Pakistani national based in London who reportedly handles Dawood's finances in the UK and the US, is also said to be close to late Dawood aide Iqbal Mirchi and his nephew, London-based businessman Asif. An Israeli detective agency, which has followed the footprints of Goenka's movements from Maputo airport, suggested that he might be held captive in Swaziland by a Pakistani gang at Asif's behest. "Jabir and Asif's affiliation is not new. We hope that Jabir's interrogations will give us a definite direction for probe and the motive behind Pramod's kidnap," said an official on the condition of anonymity.