Dawood Network in New Terror Plot

The Dawood Ibrahim syndicate is reportedly assembling a fresh network of sharpshooters across northern India and neighboring states to execute targeted killings of high-profile individuals, intelligence agencies have revealed.

An Intelligence Bureau official said that, unlike similar networks in the past, this one is not being pieced together to target high-profile politicians or prominent public figures. Instead, its objective is to carry out targeted killings of individuals who are well-known within their localities.

“While the attacks may not attract national attention individually, the network is expected to execute a series of such killings,” the official claimed.

An official said the pattern bears similarities to incidents witnessed in Jammu and Kashmir a few years ago, when shopkeepers and other influential local figures accused by terror groups of assisting Indian security agencies were selectively targeted.

The Dawood gang’s objective is to create fear and spread panic among the public. The plan is to foster a sense of anxiety and uncertainty through a sustained campaign of violence. “The targets are likely to be ordinary individuals chosen at random. While the operations would be carefully planned, the final selection of targets would be left to the network,” another official said. The key instruction, the official added, is to ensure the killings occur at regular intervals and follow a discernible pattern.

The effort to build this network comes at a time when security agencies recently dismantled a Dawood-linked module allegedly operated by his aide Munna Jhingada from Pakistan. Investigators said the group was planning a series of blasts at key locations and had recruited several individuals, including a Nepali national. The module was busted through coordinated operations carried out by the Special Cell of the Delhi Police, the Uttar Pradesh Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) and the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Officials said the dismantling of the module dealt a major setback to the Dawood syndicate. The operation had reportedly been backed by Pakistan's intelligence agency, the Inter Services Intelligence, which had high expectations from the network and was banking on the syndicate's extensive links in India to ensure its success. Following the exposure of the module, which investigators said was intended to mirror the structure of the network behind the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, the ISI is believed to have instructed the syndicate to quickly devise a fresh strategy.

An official said the new sharpshooter network is also being overseen by Jhingada, alias Sayyad Muzzakkir Muddasar Hussain. According to investigators, he has long managed the Dawood gang's network of contract shooters and reported directly to Dawood’s close aide, Chhota Shakeel. Jhingada later emerged as one of Shakeel's trusted shooters and is believed to have been involved in numerous killings. Impressed by his abilities, Shakeel allegedly assigned him the task of eliminating rival gang leader Chhota Rajan in Thailand.

Following the failed attempt, Jhingada was arrested and spent 17 years in a Thai prison. After his sentence, he was extradited to Pakistan. “Given his background and his alleged involvement in several successful shootings in the past, he has now been tasked with leading the newly formed network of sharpshooters,” the officials said.

The official said the network would deliberately carry out low-profile killings across the country at regular intervals to establish a pattern. The objective, he said, is to create fear among the public, with people becoming hesitant to venture out due to concerns over random shootings. The choice of victims would be aimed at fostering a sense of anxiety, making people believe that anyone could be next.

“The network is expected to recruit shooters from Punjab, Mumbai, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh,” the official claimed.

To avoid detection, operatives would generally not be deployed in their home states, where police may already have records on them. For instance, a shooter recruited from Uttar Pradesh would likely be assigned operations in another state, the official explained.