The United States on Tuesday slapped sanctions against underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’s two top aides — Chhota Shakeel and Tiger Memon — for their role in drug trafficking in the region.
The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated Chhota Shakeel and Ibrahim ’Tiger’ Memon as Specially Designated Narcotics Traffickers pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act (Kingpin Act) for their roles as part of a criminal organization run by Dawood Ibrahim known as ‘D Company’
Dawood was named as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in October 2003, and in June 2006, he was named as a Significant Foreign Narcotics Trafficker.
Also in June 2006, the Dawood Organization was named as a Significant Foreign Narcotics Trafficker.
“Treasury continues to target the nexus of crime and terrorism in South Asia with today’s action against one of the world’s most notorious criminal organizations,” said OFAC Director Adam Szubin.
Chhota Shakeel, 57, is Dawood’s lieutenant who coordinates for D Company with other organized crime and terror groups.
Memon, 52, is a trusted lieutenant who controls the group’s businesses across South Asia and is wanted by Indian authorities for his involvement in the 1993 Mumbai bombings.
Interpol has issued provisional arrest warrants or “red notices” for Shakeel and Memon, both Indian nationals.
As a result of today’s action, U.S. persons are prohibited from conducting financial or commercial transactions with Chhota Shakeel and ‘Tiger’ Memon, and any assets they may have under U.S. jurisdiction are frozen.
The Treasury said Dawood and his organization have been involved in international narcotics trafficking activities since the late 1980s. Their smuggling routes include South Asia, the Middle East, and Africa.
Drug trafficking activities of D Company include the smuggling of heroin and hashish from Afghanistan and Thailand to the United States, Western Europe, the Middle East, Latin America, and Africa.
Keywords: Chhota Shakeel, Tiger Memon, U.S. sanctions, drug trafficking, Dawood Ibrahim
United States bounty of $10 million on Hafeez Saeed, now sanctions
on Chhota Shakeel, Tiger Memon and Dawood Ibrahim could mean only
one thing, major shift in the policy of Obama administration vis-à-
vis Pakistan and major restructuring of US global policies moving
away from pro Pakistan slant. Paradoxically comes at time of Pak
army's diminishing influence with the corresponding increased
relevance of democratically elected leaders. It is no longer
possible for the Americans to be unilateral with Pakistan army
unable to call shots to help them. Present American actions need to
viewed with these perspectives in sight.
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