Nine men with ISI, Dawood links arrested; were allegedly planning attacks across India

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, May 30, 2026: The Delhi Police Special Cell has uncovered a nexus between fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim and Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI, arresting nine people, including Nepali nationals.

Officials said arms, explosives and other incriminating materials were recovered during the operation, which investigators describe as a significant breakthrough from a national security perspective.

According to police sources, the arrested individuals have links to Delhi, Mumbai and Punjab. Information gathered during the investigation has also indicated the involvement of certain foreign nationals.

Authorities are also examining evidence related to an alleged conspiracy to target personnel connected with security establishments as well as crowded public places.

Weapons and explosives recovered

During the operation, police recovered grenades, explosive materials and several sophisticated weapons from the accused.

The seized arms and explosives are currently being examined by investigators to determine the scale of the network and the full extent of the alleged conspiracy.

Officials said a detailed investigation is underway into the domestic and international links of the module, including its funding channels and connections with organised crime networks.

Focus on underworld links

The latest operation comes weeks after the National Investigation Agency arrested Mohammad Salim Dola in Turkey. Investigators describe him as a close associate of fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim.

Police sources believe the module had links to a broader underworld-terror network allegedly backed by Pakistan’s intelligence establishment.

Dawood and the ISI connection

Dawood Ibrahim, accused of masterminding the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, has long been linked by intelligence agencies to Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI).

According to intelligence assessments, the relationship dates back to the period before the Mumbai blasts, when Dawood allegedly facilitated the movement of weapons and explosives into India. The attacks remain among the deadliest terror incidents in the country’s history.

Indian and international agencies have consistently maintained that Dawood has been living in Karachi under the protection of the Pakistani establishment, a claim Pakistan has repeatedly denied.

In 2003, the United States designated Dawood as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist and stated that his criminal syndicate, D-Company, had developed a “strategic alliance" with the ISI. US authorities also alleged links between the network and groups such as Lashkar-e-Taiba and al-Qaeda.

Security agencies have alleged that D-Company has been involved in activities ranging from smuggling arms and ammunition to circulating fake Indian currency and supporting extremist networks.

More than three decades after the Mumbai blasts, Dawood remains at large as investigators continue to examine alleged links between organised crime networks and cross-border terror operations.

What was their plan?

Preliminary investigations suggest the accused were preparing to carry out major terror attacks in different parts of India.

The Special Cell said the group had allegedly been assigned the task of targeting critical government and strategic establishments, security personnel and religious sites across the country.

Investigators found that the suspected targets included vital infrastructure such as power plants, nuclear facilities, power stations, airports, railway stations and powerhouses.