Two agents of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Karachi-based underworld don Dawood Ibrahim’s henchman Chhota Shakeel have been caught distributing funds to Maoists in Andhra Pradesh.
The police have recovered an unlicensed country-made pistol and seven bullets, and visas and other travel documents from the two: Vinay Kumar, 30, of Hassan, and Devaiah, alias Sachin, 33, of South Coorg.
The two were on a mission along with three hardcore Maoists — the conduits — to hand over funds to the extremists, said police commissioner Shankar M Bidari.
He said the arrested men were close to the kingpin of the racket, Altaf, alias Rakesh, of Dakshina Kannada district, who was getting funds from Chhota Shakeel to fund Maoist operations in Andhra Pradesh and neighbouring states.
Altaf was running a prominent bar in Bangalore between 2003 and 2006, before leaving for Dubai, where he made contacts with the underworld, thanks to the changing tactics of the ISI, which encouraged such recruitment with a helping hand from Dawood Ibrahim.
Bidari said Altaf wanted Maoist leaders to go to Dubai to discuss about intensifying subversion in India.
