Dawood's close aide Iqbal Mirchi held in London

New Delhi, Oct 12: Iqubal Memon alias 'Iqbal Mirchi', a close aide of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim has been arrested in London. Sixty-one-year old Mirchi is wanted by the Mumbai police in various cases including narcotics cases registered in 1986 and 1987 and is accused in the murder of his former employee, Amar Suvarna in 1995.

Iqbal Mirchi has been reportedly hiding out in London for the past several years and running Dawood's global drug empire. He was arrested on charges off smuggling drugs in London and is currently being interrogated by the London police, as said by Dharni Mishra, CBI spokesperson.

According to the CBI, a red corner notice had been pending against Mirchi since 1994 and the investigation agency would approach Interpol to seek his extradition to stand trial in cases filed against him in India.

However, he did not play any role in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, cleared a Mumbai Police Officer who probed the case.

Mirchi has the family traditional business of red chilli powder and started his underworld career as a smuggler and became a major drug dealer in the 80s. After leaving Mumbai, he settled down in Dubai and London for several years.

However, Mirchi was arrested in 1995 in connection with the murder of Suvarna, the manager at a rice mill owned by Mirchi in London. Though Mumbai police sought the extradition of Mirchi in Suvarna murder case the same year, the extradition plea was turned down by the British court after a long legal battle.

OneIndia News