D-Company example of criminal terrorism fusion: US report

Running a criminal syndicate of 5000 members with strategic alliance with the ISI LeT and AlQaeda the Karachiheadquartered DCompany is an example of criminalterrorism fusion model and poses a threat to the US security interests in South Asia a Congressional report said Dawood Ibrahims DCompany a 5000member criminal syndicate operating mostly in Pakistan India and the United Arab Emirates provides an example of the criminalterrorism fusion model the Congressional Research Service CRS said in its latest report A research wing of the US Congress CRS prepares reports on various issues for the American lawmakers The report International Terrorism and Transnational Crime Security Threats US Policy and Considerations for Congress was released by the CRS on Tuesday The US Department of Treasury designated Ibrahim as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist in October 2003 In June 2006 the then US President George W Bush designated him as well as his DCompany organisation as a significant foreign narcotics trafficker under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act Noting that the DCompany is reportedly involved in several criminal activities including extortion smuggling narcotics trafficking and contract killing the CRS said it has also reportedly infiltrated the Indian filmmaking industry extorting producers assassinating directors distributing movies and pirating filmsu00a0 The CRS says DCompanys evolution into a true criminalterrorist group began in response to the destruction of the Babri Mosque in December 1992 and the subsequent riots Reportedly with assistance from Pakistan governments intelligence branch the InterServices Intelligence agency ISI DCompany launched a series of bombing attacks on March 12 1993 killing 257 people the report said Following the attacks Ibrahim moved his networks headquarters to Karachi There DCompany is believed to have deepened its strategic alliance with the ISI and developed links to LashkareTaiba the report noted During this time period some say DCompany began to finance LeTs activities use its companies to lure recruits to LeT training camps and give LeT operatives use of its smuggling routes and contacts the CRS said Press accounts have reported that Ibrahims network might have provided a boat to the 10 terrorists who killed 173 people in Mumbai in November 2008 the CRS said in its 56page report The US governments contend that DCompany has found common cause with AlQaeda and shares its smuggling routes with that terrorist group the report said Analysts believe it is unlikely that it will formally merge with those terrorist groups the CRS said But its own terrorist endeavours its deep pockets and its reported cooperation with LeT and AlQaeda present a credible threat to US interests in South Asia security experts assess Lending his criminal expertise and networks to such terrorist groups he is capable of smuggling terrorists across national borders trafficking in weapons and drugs controlling extortion and protection rackets and laundering illgotten proceeds including through the abuse of traditional value transfer methods like hawala