The arrest of Altaf Khanani, a well-known money-changer, by the United States of America authorities have set alarm bells ringing for underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.
Altaf Khanani was arrested on September 11, 2015, by the US Drug Enforcement Administration.
On November 13, 2015, the US slapped sanctions on Pakistan-based Khanani Money Laundering Organisation and its affiliate, Dubai-based money services firm Al Zarooni Exchange, which have ties with terrorist outfits like the Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) and Dawood Ibrahim, for laundering money for criminals and political activists.
Notably, the US has strong evidence to prove that Khanani is Dawood Ibrahim’s biggest financier.
Khanani MLO facilitates illicit money movement between Pakistan, the UAE, the US, the UK, Canada, Australia, and other countries, and is responsible for laundering billions of dollars in organised crime proceeds annually.
It offers laundering services to a diverse clientele, including Chinese, Colombian, and Mexican organised crime groups and individuals associated with Hezbollah, the US Treasury had said.
“Khanani MLO has also laundered funds for designated terrorist organisations. Altaf Khanani, the head of the Khanani MLO, and Al Zarooni Exchange have been involved in the movement of funds for the Taliban, and Altaf Khanani is known to have had relationships with Lashkar-e-Toiba, Dawood Ibrahim, al Qaeda and Jaish-e-Mohammed,” the Treasury had added.
The arrest of Khanani has affected the D-company’s buisness badly. It is now to be seen whether the development is the beginning of the end of Dawood Ibrahim.
