Friend and Ally Update: “Saudi-based NRIs funded Mumbai blasts: ATS,” from the Times of India, with thanks to Infidel Pride. An NRI is a Non-Resident Indian.
MUMBAI: More than nine lakh riyals – nearly Rs 1.2 crore – were transferred from Saudi Arabia to Mumbai in the past one year for the 7/11 blasts, said anti-Terrorists squad sources on Tuesday.
A part of the money was used over a period of six months to plan and execute the blasts on Mumbai’s suburban trains, which highly placed sources said was the job of Lashkar-e-Taiba, which had used ex-SIMI members.
An officer, involved with the 7/11 investigations, told TOI that NRIs in Saudi Arabia had funded the Gujarat Muslim Revenge Force in 2003, when it carried out twin explosions at Gateway of India and Mumbadevi – killing 53 people.
“A similar group of NRIs funded the train blasts and the motive again is revenge for the Gujarat carnage. If you see a list of casualties, 12 men are Gujarati diamond brokers while 25 injured are Gujarati businessmen. The entire operation was meticulously planned and terrorists had studied the profile of passengers,” the officer stated.
Sources told TOI the money was sent to India through hawala and at least a dozen locals were involved, including two from Pune, two from Mumbai and one from Bihar. Those detained in this connection include Altaf and Badrul Jama, but a key operator, identified as Kamrul, is still absconding.
Hawalas are informal money transfer systems. Very hard to trace.