Mumbai: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Monday morning detained gangster Chhota Shakeel’s aide Salim Qureshi aka Salim Fruit in Mumbai after conducting raids at over 20 places here and in adjoining Thane district against associates of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, an official said. The NIA detained gangster Chhota Shakeel’s aide Salim Qureshi aka Salim Fruit, Kayyum and Suhail Khandwani, who is the managing trustee of Mahim Dargah and Haji Ali Dargah.
The NIA picked up Qureshi, the husband of Shakeel’s sister-in-law, from his residence in the Bhendi Bazar area of south Mumbai, he said. It also detained one Sameer Angora from Delite Apartments in Bandra. The Central agency conducted raids at a housing society in Mumbai’s Nagpada area, Bhendi Bazar, Santacruz, Mahim, Goregaon areas of Mumbai, Mumbra in Thane and other places against associates of Dawood Ibrahim.
Several hawala operators and drug peddlers were allegedly associated with Ibrahim, an official said. In February this year, the Enforcement Directorate had questioned Qureshi as part of its probe in a money laundering case linked to Dawood Ibrahim. The probe agency said that it had registered a case against hawala operators and drug peddlers who were associated with Dawood in February. However, the raids began today.