The D-company has been involved in the circulation of fake currency in India, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) said in a statement on Thursday, a day after it carried out raids at six locations in Mumbai.
“The recovery (during Wednesday’s raids) included sharp-edged weapons, digital devices and documents, which is a strong corroboration of NIA’s earlier findings establishing a direct connection with the D-company in the fake currency racket,” as per the statement.
According to the NIA statement, the raids were carried out in relation to a case registered in 2021 after the seizure of high-quality fake Indian currency notes (FICN) from Thane, Maharashtra.
Back then, INR 2,000 ($25 approx) currency notes were recovered during the raid. The total amount recovered amounted to nearly 300,000 INR (nearly $3,630).
Two people, identified as Mumbai-based Riyaz and Nasir, were arrested during the raids, the NIA said. Both of them are currently in judicial custody, it added.
The NIA statement noted that the accused have been charged under the relevant provisions of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA), the country’s anti-terror legislation.
Who is Dawood Ibrahim, Head of D-company?
Underworld don Dawood Ibrahim is one of India’s most wanted men. He is considered to be a mastermind in the serial blasts which rocked Mumbai in 1993. Over 250 people were killed in the blasts, which took place at 12 different locations in Mumbai.
Indian agencies have also accused Ibrahim of having links with banned terrorist groups such as Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT)*.
The NIA last year charged Ibrahim and the D-company under the UAPA.
Several of Ibrahim’s relatives in India have reportedly told Indian agencies that he has been based in Karachi since fleeing from the country.
Islamabad has consistently denied the presence of the fugitive gangster in the country.
* banned terror group