Dawood angle being probed

Were Abdul Latif and Riyaz Ali, the two terror suspects arrested by the Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) for allegedly plotting to bomb and set fire to several ‘targets’ in Mumbai, members of the Dawood Ibrahim gang?

Were Abdul Latif and Riyaz Ali, the two terror suspects arrested by the Anti Terrorism Squad (ATS) for allegedly plotting to bomb and set fire to several ‘targets’ in Mumbai, members of the Dawood Ibrahim gang?

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Security agencies are investigating if these two were part of a seven-member group that has recently been handpicked by the Karachi-based fugitive underworld don.

Sources in Maharastra’s ATS told Hindustan Times that other members of the ‘new group’ have been identified and are likely to be rounded up soon.

The sources said that the group, constituted of all locals, had been selected through Dawood’s contacts in Mumbai as the Pakistan-based terror groups were finding it difficult to find fresh recruits to carry out strikes in Mumbai.

Investigators believe that the task of recruiting operatives has been assigned to Dawood Ibrahim because of increased surveillance by security agencies and rounding up of most of the key members of Laskhar-e-Tayyeba and the Indian Mujahideen (IM).

Sources said most members of the new group are poor and easily motivated by money. Also, the targets given to the members were carefully chosen.

For instance, Riyaz had been assigned to ignite fire/bomb at the Thakkar Mall in Borivli (West) as he worked in one of the shops in the mall. Similarly, Abdul Latif, had been assigned to strike at the Vasundhara building, the ONGC headquarters in Bandra (East), not very far from where he lives. Abdul works at Lohar Chawl in Crawford market which is where Mangaldas Market, another target, is located.

“Both Mangaldas market and Thakkar Mall had been chosen as they were located in the nerve center of business activity of the Gujarati community,” sources added.