Mumbai: Cops suspect Dawood Ibrahim's brother is taking over the reins of gang

Illustration/Uday Mohite

The D-Company has a new star: Anees Ibrahim, brother of notorious gangster Dawood Ibrahim. The Mumbai police suspect that with Dawood and Chhota Shakeel laying low, Anees, 63, is slowly taking over the reins of the gang. This information came to light after cops arrested key operative Ramdas Rahane. Although Anees is in Pakistan, it was upon his instructions that Rahane was allegedly about to attack a hotelier in the city.

Taking on a bigger role
Rahane was arrested on Saturday by an anti-extortion cell (AEC) team led by inspectors Ajay Sawant and Sachin Kadam. According to the police, Rahane had been in touch with Anees before his arrest. But sources said that this was not the only indication of Anees becoming more active in the gang's affairs. Informers had also tipped off the cops that Anees was taking on a more prominent role in the gang's operation.

Only man for the job?
Dawood's son, Moin is in his 30s, would rather be a maulana than a gangster. In the past, Anees had a low profile in the Dawood Company, and managed just a handful of his old aides. It was Chhota Shakeel who was seen as the more aggressive right-hand man to Dawood. Now, with Shakeel laying low too, it seems to be Anees' turn to take the reins.

Earlier, there was a lot of speculation that Shakeel had split from the gang. However, sources in the Mumbai crime branch said after questioning arrested gang members and informers, they have learnt that Shakeel is still with the D-Company but has taken a backseat.

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