Dawood ageing, but still an asset for ISI: officials

Bengaluru: India's most wanted criminal and notorious gangster Dawood Ibrahim is now bald, ageing and not in perfect health, but he continues to remain a very crucial asset for the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI) for India.

"India is trying hard to get Dawood through backdoor diplomatic manoeuvres; by requesting friendly countries like Saudi Arabia to freeze his assets there, but we will never get him because the ISI will not let go of 'Sheikh' Dawood even after he runs out of utility. He will live and die in Pakistan under the ISI's heavily armed security. Dawood funds the ISI through the blood money, which is drawn from his cross country underworld crime syndicate, which is predominant in South East Asia. A big part of his revenue comes from India. He has a finger in every pie; from controlling one third of fake Indian currency (FICN) to real estate, extortion, kidnappings, hawala, proxy money exchanges smuggling of drugs and illegal arms and human trafficking, the 'D' company has an ominous presence everywhere," said a top Intelligence source.

He added that the ISI will keep Dawood alive even after his death for strategic reasons. "The Afghan Taliban didn't make public the death of their leader Mullah Omar for over two years on tactical grounds. The ISI will do the same with Dawood. They will keep his death a secret till they get an adequately ominous replacement from the 'D' company," the officer added.

Chhota Rajan an asset for R&AW

Underworld don Rajendra Sadashiv Nikalje alias Chhota Rajan was allegedly never on the run. “He was an asset of India’s premier external spy agency — the Research & Analysis Wing for information on his one time mentor-turned-arch rival Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar till recently.

Assets get shelter and logistic support in the form of funds and fake passports on which they travel. He was reeled in by the RAW after the famous split between him and Dawood, soon after the 1993 Mumbai blasts and was a very useful asset for them.

Rajan has a lot of useful information on how Dawood operates through his proxies; his recruitment and reach in India and overseas,” said a top Intelligence source.