Authorities in Dubai have released key associates of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, including his brothers Noora and Mushtakeen, after detaining them for three days in the Emirate. They have reportedly been told to pack up and leave the country, sources at the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) said here.The Dubai police had picked up at least 115 persons as part of investigations into the recent murder of Dawood aide Sharad Shetty, who was also reportedly running a cricket betting racket. ‘‘Dubai had not given us any official intimation about the detentions. They want us to believe that the round-up had nothing do with the list of wanted men which India had given to UAE last week, and that they are cracking down on the betting racket,’’ disclosed MHA sources. It is now getting clear that Dubai had cracked the whip on the Indian gangsters in order to curb the betting racket, which is more than flourishing with cricket World Cup round the corner,’’ sources said. However, officials in the MHA preferred to see the positive side of things. ‘‘Earlier the Dubai authorities were not even touching these people. Now at least they are picking them up for questioning. Probably soon as a next step, they will agree to hand them over to India,’’ said an official.Mumbai cops suspect that the crackdown on the Dawood gang has monetary consideration rather than a real desire on the part of Dubai police to curb underworld crime.‘‘It’s a ploy to show them (the gangsters) who is the boss. The so-called detention could also be a ploy to force them to cough up money for seeking refuge and running businesses there,’’ remarked a senior CBI officer. Although these gangsters are wanted men in India, most of them run legal businesses in the Gulf countries with local businessmen as partners.
