Officials scan ports, coast for Dawood ‘ship of arms & ammo’

Sources said though the consignment is directed to one of the Gujarat ports, it could be rerouted to the Middle-East, particularly a port in Yemen, to avoid detection. They fear that the arms could hit the Maharashtra coast before the monsoon when the sea is rough.

According to the plan, sources say, the consignment would be offloaded onto smaller vessels, even fishing trawlers.

Intelligence agencies and the Gujarat police have launched a massive search at Kandla, Mundra and Pipava ports. While officials are rummaging through the cargo suspected to be hidden in containers, sniffer dogs have been requisitioned to assist in the ongoing operations.

The search comes hot on the heels after the Mumbai police received intelligence reports of a possible attack from Dawood and his associates. Crime Branch officers have been asked to tighten vigil in certain sensitive pockets in the city. A senior police officer confirmed that Ibrahim and his men are planning trouble in Mumbai.

Reports indicated Dawood sent his younger brother Anees from Islamabad to Dubai in the first week of March to make arrangements for the payment of the consignments.

Earlier, there were unconfirmed reports that a coastal patrol foiled a mysterious ship with some arms docking off the Ratnagiri coast on April 4. The medium-sized ship laden with arms had sailed from Karachi harbour on March 24.