NIA on Wednesday made references to wanted don Dawood Ibrahim while opposing the bail plea of an accused in the Kerala gold smuggling case. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) told the court that one of the accused in the Kerala gold smuggling case, Ramees, may have been harboured by members of the D-Company in Africa.
Ramees, during custodial interrogation, told the NIA about his attempts to set up a diamond business in Tanzania. He even tried to obtain a gold mining license in the east-African country and claimed to have brought gold from Tanzania, which he later sold in the UAE, NIA has said in its counter while challenging Ramees’ bail plea.
The agency cited UN Security Council’s narrative summary of Dawood Ibrahim and a fact-sheet published by the US Department of Treasury that specifically mentions his business interests in Africa.
“Recent news reports have also specifically mentioned the diamond business of Dawood Ibrahim in Tanzania, managed to by his associate Feroz, considered to be a south Indian by the agencies,” the NIA said.
It went on to add that data retrieved from the mobile phone of another accused in the Kerala gold smuggling case, Sharafudheen, revealed that he had travelled to Africa along with Ramees.
Subsequently, Ramees was held by Customs at the Cochin International Airport in November 2019. A case was registered against him for importing firearms without a valid licence. The NIA went further to allege that the exit of accused Ahammed Kutty and Ratheesh from India at this time indicates that outfits such as Dawood Ibrahim’s ‘D-Company’ may be harbouring the accused outside India.
PFI REFERENCE
In addition, the NIA’s counter in court also refers to accused Mohammad Ali’s alleged links to the Popular Front of India (PFI).
“Mohammad Ali is a member of fundamentalist organization PFI and was chargesheeted by Kerala Police in Professor’s palm chopping case,” the NIA said likely referring to a 2010 case where the right palm of a professor in Kerala’s Ernakulam was chopped off.
The agency adds, “However he [Mohammad Ali] was acquitted after more than 90 witnesses turned hostile. “During the trial, a case was registered against PFI for threatening witnesses,” the NIA said.
In fact, investigators also pointed out how scrutiny of Mohammad Ali’s cell phone revealed that he formatted the device on July 19. The Kerala gold smuggling case was first detected on July 5 of this year.
“From the limited data retrieved, material pertaining to the death of Indian original members of ISIS, posters in support of proscribed organization SIMI convicted by this court, paper slips of cash transfers in lakhs have been retrieved,” the NIA stated in its counter while opposing the bail plea of accused in the Kerala gold smuggling case.