Dawood Ibrahim: US agents asked Pakistani gold trader Asif Hafeez for help

Muhammad Asif Hafeez’s lawyers have claimed in papers filed before the UK High Court of Justice that American Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) agents, who met Asif Hafeez in Dubai between 2014 and 2017, asked him about Dawood Ibrahim, Mumbai bombings of 1993, Tora Bora, the Taliban, Karachi businessman Jabir Motiwala and Ibrahim’s current location, reports The News International.

Asif Hafeez told US agents he knew nothing about the Taleben and Afghanistan but confirmed knowing Dawood Ibrahim as both of them were in gold trading in Dubai at one stage and used to watch cricket and sat in adjoining boxes but lost contact after late 90s when Dawood left Dubai for good.

Asif Hafeez, according to court papers, told US agents as quoted by the newspaper: “I further confirmed that whilst Dawood Ibrahim was in Dubai, he used to sit in the front row of Bollywood performances and was well known in the industry."

"In fact I recall that before any performance started the performers would ask him ‘Ijazzat hai?’ which means ‘do we have permission to begin?'" he said.

The Pakistani national, according to the legal papers, was asked if he knew whether Taliban leader Mullah Omar and Dawood Ibrahim had any connections. When asked about Dawood’s current whereabouts, Asif Hafeez told the US agents that he didn’t know where Dawood Ibrahim currently was, reports The News International.