Mumbai: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) has taken possession of a flat in Thane that was registered in the name of a close associate of Iqbal Kaskar. This action is part of their ongoing money laundering investigation against him and his brother, Dawood Ibrahim.
The ED alleged that Kaskar and his associates compelled a Thane builder to surrender the flat through intimidation, registering the property in his associate Mumtaz Shaikh’s name. The ED initially attached this property in April 2022 before taking full possession recently. The ED investigated Kaskar for money laundering based on two FIRs. The first was registered by the NIA against Dawood Ibrahim, Anees Ibrahim, Chhota Shakeel, Tiger Memon and others. The second was an extortion FIR filed against Iqbal Kaskar, Mumtaz Shaikh and Israr Ali Jamil Sayyed at Kasarvadavli police station in Thane.
The Thane police case alleged forced acquisition of one flat and Rs 90 lakh as protection money from a builder. The ED stated that they came across multiple witnesses who confirmed the connections between Iqbal Mirchi, Dawood Ibrahim, Tiger Memon and ISI officials.
The ED stated that following his 2003 deportation to India, Kaskar allegedly began extorting funds from builders and celebrities. The ED stated that he used his associates to intimidate victims and collected money for Dawood. Evidence from various police investigations indicates that the accused worked in coordination for personal gain and the benefit of Dawood Ibrahim’s criminal organisation, ED stated.
The ED’s investigation has revealed that Dawood Ibrahim manages illegal enterprises through close associates in India, maintaining direct coordination, officials said. Five individuals were investigated for assisting in generating and laundering illegal funds through hawala channels.