Underworld clutches in Kerala? Close aide of Dawood Ibrahim's brother arrested

Mohammed Altaf Abdul Latif Saeed, who is speculated to be a close aide of Dawood Ibrahim's brother, was arrested from Kannur airport, Kerala, on Tuesday. The arrest was made by officers of the anti-extortion cell (AEC) of Mumbai Police. Authorities revealed that Saeed has been working closely with Anees Ibrahim, brother of dreaded underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, who is allegedly living as a fugitive in Pakistan.

AEC officers revealed that Saeed, aged 52, has been maintaining contacts with underworld dons based in India and abroad for many years, and he is currently running hawala operations for Anees Ibrahim.

After detaining Saeed from the Kannur airport, investigation officers brought him to Mumbai, and later the arrest was made. The accused was later produced before the special MCOCA court, which remanded him under police custody until Friday.

The arrest of Saeed from Kannur airport clearly indicates that Kerala is slowly emerging as a hotbed of terrorist activities and hawala trade. A few months back, it was reported that the ISIS was planning to conduct deadly terrorist attacks in Kerala. The warning issued by the state intelligence department had suggested that terrorists were apparently planning to target a shopping mall in Cochin.

A few months back, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) had arrested a young man named Riyaz for his alleged involvement in terrorist activities. After the arrest, NIA officials revealed that Riyaz was radicalized by Abdul Rashid, an ISIS commander who operates from Syria. It should be also noted that Riyaz conducted his terrorist activities from Muthalamada, a small rural village in Palakkad.

A year back, a leaked audio clip of Abdul Rashid had surfaced online, and it urged Islamic extremists to wipe out non-believers from the earth. In the audio, Abdul Rashid also asked his followers to use trucks and ram into festivals like Kumbh Mela and Thrissur Pooram.