Jamnagar: More than three decades after a Pakistan linked arms consignment landed on Gujarat’s coast, an operation that aided the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, a Special TADA court in Jamnagar on Monday convicted 12 conspirators. The judgment establishes the involvement of Pakistani marine and military officials in the smuggling network linked to Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon.

The verdict, delivered by Special TADA Judge R P Mogera, marks partial closure to a case registered in July 1993 after a prolonged investigation and trial. The case, filed on July 15, 1993, invoked multiple provisions of the TADA Act, the Indian Penal Code, the Arms Act, and the Explosives Substances Act.

While 12 accused were convicted, 17 others were acquitted. The detailed order and sentencing are yet to be announced.

Among those declared proclaimed offenders under TADA Section 8(3)(A) are Dawood Ibrahim, Tiger Memon (Ibrahim Abdul Razak), Anees Ibrahim Kaskar, Chhota Shakeel, and Anwar Samba, all believed to be based in Pakistan or the UAE.

Conspiracy and Objective

The case centres on what the prosecution described as a “meticulously planned conspiracy” allegedly hatched at Dawood Ibrahim’s residence in Dubai. The plan involved smuggling a large cache of arms and explosives, including RDX, into India via sea routes, with the intent of spreading communal terror in the aftermath of the Babri Masjid demolition on December 6, 1992.

Special Public Prosecutor Tushar Gokani said the prosecution successfully demonstrated how the conspiracy was conceived and executed with support from Pakistan. Evidence presented during the trial indicated the involvement of Pakistan’s Marine Security Agency and military personnel in facilitating the transport of weapons.

Investigations led by retired IPS officers P K Jha and Satish Verma, along with current CBI Special Director Manoj Shashidhar, revealed critical details of the operation, with witnesses consistently supporting the prosecution’s case. Jha passed away in 2008.

Mid Sea Transfer and Gujarat Landing

According to the prosecution, local operatives, including Harun Adam Sanghar of Bedi village in Jamnagar and Osman Umar Kareja and Mamad Alimamad alias Madu from Salaya Mandvi in Kutch, were recruited to bring the arms consignment into India, acting as the final link in an international smuggling chain.

A launch named Sada Al Bahar, owned by Mustafa Dossa alias Mustafa Majnu Seth (who died in 2017), was sent near Karachi, where it received weapons from a vessel linked to Pakistan’s Marine Security Agency. The consignment included RDX, grenades, rifles, bombs, and around 150 lethal weapons.

Operating under instructions allegedly relayed via satellite phone by Dossa on behalf of Dawood Ibrahim, the vessel was equipped with advanced communication systems and loaded with arms by Pakistani personnel. Two additional launches Bismillah and Marwan later joined mid sea.

Part of the consignment was transferred to Bismillah, which headed towards Maharashtra, while Sada Al Bahar moved towards the Porbandar Veraval coast in Gujarat. After receiving signals from local contacts, the consignment was offloaded near Gosabarana and subsequently transported to Surat, Valsad, Uttar Pradesh, and other locations.

Long Investigation

The investigation spanned from 1993 to 2018. A total of 46 accused were arrested, 11 died during the proceedings, and six were discharged by the Supreme Court. The final trial proceeded against 29 accused. Initial charge sheets were filed in 1996, with supplementary filings over the years, including one in 2019 against seven additional accused, after which the trial formally began.

The verdict marks a significant development in one of the longest running terror related cases linked to the 1993 Mumbai blasts.