ED arrests 2 close aides of gangster Iqbal Mirchi in land deal case

MUMBAI: The Enforcement Directorate on Friday arrested two close associates of gangster Iqbal Mirchi in connection with a land deal worth over Rs 200 crores.

The agency had recently launched a crackdown on assets - movable and immovable, acquired by crime syndicates across the country. 

In the process, the agency nabbed two associates of Mirchi in a money laundering case for facilitating a land deal more than Rs 200 crore. 

The accused, who are from Mumbai, have been identified as Haroun Yusuf and Ranjeet Singh Bindra.

According to ED, Bindra acted as a broker for the land deal while Yusuf transferred the money to a Trust and facilitated the deal. 

Known as Iqbal Mirchi, Muhammed Iqbal Memon was a close-aide to fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim, who is wanted in India in connection with the 19993 Mumbai serial blasts. 

Mirchi was wanted by the police in a dozen cases of murder, attempt to murder, criminal intimidation, extortion and drug trafficking in Mumbai but he was not an accused in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts.

An Interpol red corner notice was issued against Mirchi in 1994. After the blasts, he fled to Dubai and from there he shifted base to London, where he passed away in 2013.