ISI pushes new gangster faces as pressure mounts on Dawood Ibrahim

New Delhi, June 19 (SocialNews.XYZ) Pressure has been mounting on Dawood Ibrahim as Indian security agencies have dismantled several modules linked to his network in recent months. In response, Pakistani handlers are believed to have recalibrated their approach, with the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) seeking to divert attention from Dawood and reduce the scrutiny surrounding him.

Investigators found that the name of Pakistan-based gangster Abid Jatt surfaced repeatedly during the probe into recent recruitment drives allegedly conducted by ISI asset Shahzad Bhatti. Several recruits, who were reportedly offered money to carry out targeted shootings and gather sensitive information, were also instructed to promote Jatt's profile. As part of this effort, they were directed to put up posters of Jatt at various locations.

An Intelligence Bureau official said the posters were not intended merely to glorify the gangster. While Bhatti allegedly sought to use them to create an atmosphere of terror, investigators believe the main objective was to shift attention away from the Dawood gang.

“The ISI is keen to keep Dawood's name out of the spotlight for the time being,” the official said.

It began with the busting of the underworld-linked modules by the Delhi Police Special Cell. It was said that the Dawood gang recruited them. A detailed probe led the investigators to Bhatti as the man who was running these modules. Investigators also found repeated references to Jatt, with Bhatti purportedly directing recruits to popularise Jatt's name through publicity across parts of north India.

Officials said that Jatt does not operate an independent syndicate and remains part of the Dawood network. According to an official, Jatt's profile has been deliberately projected recently to divert attention from Dawood and his operations.

Another official said that whenever Dawood's name resurfaces, attention turns to allegations regarding terror financing and his links with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM). The official added that Indian agencies have, over the years, gathered evidence pointing to close links between these terror groups and the D-company network. Against this backdrop, the ISI is believed to be keen to avoid renewed scrutiny of both Dawood and these terror outfits at present.

Officials say Dawood is needed to raise funds as the terror groups want to rebuild capabilities after the setback during Operation Sindoor. If his name remains in the discourse, then the Indian agencies remain alert. This would mean that Dawood's network gets busted and his drug supply chains are affected. The money earned through the narcotics trade is a main revenue for the ISI, and it is diverted to the LeT and JeM, the official added.

“The ISI just wants the D-syndicate to focus on pushing drugs and earning money so that terror operations against India can be funded,” another official said.

The names of Bhatti and Jatt surfaced in a short span of time. Officials say the way they have been projected and the capabilities attributed to them appear highly exaggerated. Neither Bhatti nor Jatt could have established such an extensive network in India on their own overnight. Both remain closely linked to the Dawood network and continue to operate using its resources and financial backing.

Bhatti is believed to be effective in recruiting young operatives through social media, owing to his experience as an influencer. Jatt, meanwhile, has been projected as a Pakistan-based don heading a separate criminal syndicate, with Bhatti often portrayed as his close associate. An examination of the financial channels, logistics, and infrastructure used by Jatt and Bhatti indicates that they rely on the same structure traditionally associated with the D-gang.

An official said that this makes it amply clear that the ISI wants attention diverted away from Dawood. Bhatti, who used to live in Dubai, was picked up by the D-syndicate. He was tasked with influencing youth into joining terror groups in addition to overseeing a part of the arms manufacturing racket. He has also been in touch with Dawood’s associates in India and has been supplying arms to them.

Bhatti and Jatt have been allocated a huge amount of funds to recruit youth into terror groups. They have been paying the youth as little as Rs 10,000 to put up posters of Jatt and also pass on important logistics relating to military installations and other crowded places. Bhatti had also hired a couple of youths to kill cops in Uttar Pradesh for which he had assured them a sum of Rs 3 lakh per cop, officials claimed.

Intelligence agencies have warned against interpreting the sudden appearance of the duo’s names as evidence that Dawood has become inactive. The ISI's objective is to temporarily shift attention away from Dawood so that the networks used for narcotics trafficking and other criminal activities remain out of the focus of Indian security agencies, an official said.

Source: IANS