Crime syndicate venturing into terrorism getting state hospitality in neighbouring country: Indian envoy

India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj, slammed Pakistan at the UNSC meet.

India has had first-hand experience of crime syndicates venturing into terrorism and then getting “state hospitality” in a neighbouring country despite being blacklisted by the UN, India’s envoy here said on Tuesday, in a veiled reference to D-company head Dawood Ibrahim who is believed to be in Pakistan.

Ibrahim, who heads a vast and multifaceted illegal business, has emerged as India’s most wanted terrorist after the 1993 Mumbai bombings.

Speaking at the UN Security Council meeting on ‘Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts’ chaired by China, India’s Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Ruchira Kamboj said links between terrorism and organised crime need to be addressed.

“Linkages between terrorism and organised crime need to be addressed. In India, we have had first-hand experience of crime syndicates venturing into terrorism and immediately thereafter getting state hospitality in a neighbouring country despite being listed under the UNSC 1267 Sanctions Committee,” she said.

Kamboj said “such hypocrisy needs to be collectively called out, when the threat of terrorism looms large in each of our countries.” Kamboj’s remarks were a thinly-veiled reference to D-Company, responsible for the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts, and its head Ibrahim, who is believed to be hiding in Pakistan.

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In August 2020, Pakistan had for the first time acknowledged the presence of Ibrahim on its soil after the government imposed sweeping sanctions on 88 banned terror groups and their leaders, which also included the name of the underworld don wanted by India.