Dawood Ibrahim's D-Company Finds Refuge in Pakistan After Global Assets Freeze, Invests 'Drug Money' in Stock Market

New Delhi, July 28: Even as India's most wanted fugitive Dawood Ibrahim's assets are frozen across the world, the underworld don continues to invest money, earned through his organised crime syndicate, in the Pakistan Stock Exchange (PSX). These investments are being made through various capital securities firms in all the three stock exchange under in the PSX. The Indian agencies are gathering clinching evidence against Dawood Ibrahim's investment of illegal money into the PSX, earned through his crime syndicate, which primarily flourishes on drug smuggling, gun running, Fake Indian Currency Notes (FICN) racket and extortion.

The D-company points man Jabir Moti, currently detained in a London jail, runs more than five front capital securities companies, all operating from the Karachi Stock Exchange, merged with the PSX in 2016. Besides companies linked with Jabir Moti, D-company has also invested heavily, through various shell companies in Habib Bank's subsidiary, Habib Metropolitan Financial Services (HMFS), a top equity brokerage firm in Pakistan. Dawood Ibrahim’s Nephew Rizwan Kaskar Arrested by Mumbai Police in Extortion Case.

Intelligence reports say Dawood Ibrahim was introduced to the senior management of Habib Bank by cricketer Javed Miandad, a former Senior Vice President of Habib Bank and father-in-law of Dawood's daughter Mehreen Ibrahim. Habib Bank was charged by the US Department of Financial Services with money laundering and terror links in 2017. Habib Bank's role is also under suspicion for backing D-company's operations in Nepal as it runs the Nepalese Himalayan Bank in a joint venture project.

Reports say that around 2012, Dawood Ibrahim came in contact with the then Director of Karachi Stock Exchange Zafar Moti, through his family member Jabir Moti, a listed gang member of the D-company, arrested by the Scotland Yard in a London hotel, on a tip-off from the FBI in August 2018.

Jabir Moti has been charged by the FBI with collecting illegal money earned from D-Company's narcotics smuggling and has been facing an extradition trial in a London court. Reports suggest that Jabir Moti is the Director of Zafar Moti Capital Securities Pvt Ltd, located at Room 54-55, Ist Floor, Pakistan Stock Exchange Building, Stock Exchange Road, Karachi.

The CEO of this firm is Zafar Moti, who also runs a few other firms. Another company, BRP-MAC Securities Pvt Ltd, allegedly owned by Jabir Moti has Zafar's wife Afshan Moti on its board. This company is located at 54, Pakistan Stock exchange Building, Karachi. Afshan resides at bunglow 31/1, Ist Girzi Street, Phase IV, Pakistan Defence Housing, Karachi, situated near Dawood's one of hideouts in the port city of Pakistan.

Highly placed sources in the government said that once the entire trail of Dawood Ibrahim's illegal money invested in the Pakistan Stock Exchange through his aide Jabir Moti is gathered, substantial records would be brought to the notice of the world to expose Pakistan's dual policy on terrorism and its intelligence agency ISI's nexus with the international crime syndicates. The Indian agencies are also monitoring the extradition trial of Jabir Moti in London's Westminster's Magistrate court.

Jabir Moti is also accused of supplying drugs to overseas narcotics gangs. In the London Court, the FBI revealed: "Pakistani national Jabir Moti is a top lieutenant in D-company and reports directly to Dawood Ibrahim. Accused of drug smuggling, he is involved in laundering US$1.4 million on behalf of the D-company."

While FBI is hotly pursuing Jabir Moti's extradition trial, the Pakistan High Commission in London is making all-out efforts to thwart the process as his subsequent criminal trial in the US can expose the nexus between Pakistan's establishment with D-company's organised crime and terror operations.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jul 28, 2019 03:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).