Mohammad Haneefa Makkat was wanted by the Kerala Police in connection with the abduction and killing of one Abdul Karim in 2006.
Published Mar 12, 2023 | 7:00 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 12, 2023 | 7:01 PM
Mohammed Haneefa brought back to Kerala after Saudi Arabian Police arrests him over Interpol Red Corner Notice
The Kerala Police, with the help of the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), brought back a kidnapping-and-murder accused through extradition from Saudi Arabia — the 33rd such fugitive extradited since last year — under “Operation Trishul” on Sunday, 12 March, said officials.
Mohammad Haneefa Makkat, a fugitive with an Interpol Red Corner Notice (RCN) issued against him, was wanted by the Kerala Police in connection with the abduction and killing of one Abdul Karim in 2006, said the officials.
The case was probed by the Kunnamangalam Police Station in Kozhikode, they added.
He was located in Saudi Arabia on the basis of the RCN, and arrested by the Saudi Arabian police on 23 February, said the officials.
The Interpol unit of Saudi Arabia informed the CBI about Mohammad Haneefa’s location and sought a team to take him back to India, the officials said.
The CBI passed on the information to the Kerala Police, which brought the accused back to the country from Saudi Arabia on Sunday.
The case was investigated by the Crime Branch-CID of the Kozhikode Police.
Karim was abducted along with his driver Sivan from the Wayanad Ghat Road in Kozhikode by the accused and his accomplices.
On 11 February, 2006, the locals found Karim with serious injuries near Adivaram. He succumbed to them the next day.
Sivan, who escaped after sustaining injuries, helped the investigators crack the case.
Three people were awarded life sentences by a court in Vadakara after they were found guilty in the case.
Out of the seven people arrested in the case, three were acquitted and one — Babu Varghese — died during the trial.
According to the investigation officials, the murder had been committed as revenge for an incident where Babu Varghese was remanded in jail after Karim filed a case against him.
Varghese had hired a killer gang from Kochi to murder Karim.
Makkat is the 33rd fugitive brought back to India since January 2022, the officials said. He was brought back under “Operation Trishul” launched by the CBI.
As part of the operation, criminals and proceeds of crime are traced in foreign countries with the help of Interpol and brought back, the officials said, adding that the federal agency brought back 27 fugitives in 2022 and six this year.
The CBI is using a three-pronged strategy to corner fugitives under “Operation Trishul”, which is giving rich dividends to Indian agencies.
The first hit is locating a fugitive through Interpol and seeking deportation or extradition from the member country where he is holed up.
The agency also mobilises Interpol mechanisms— StAR Global Focal Point Network, Financial Crimes Analysis Files and other channels — to identify the dispersal of proceeds of crime by financial criminals so that subsequent steps may be initiated through formal channels to recover such proceeds of crime.
The third strategy involves dismantling the support networks by generating criminal intelligence on shell companies, fraudulent transactions, money mules and the co-accused located globally, so that the law-enforcement agencies concerned may be informed through Interpol for taking suitable action in accordance with their domestic legal frameworks.
More than 30 high-profile criminals accused of committing financial fraud in India, including Nirav Modi, Mehul Choksi, Nitin Sandesara and Jatin Mehta, have found sanctuaries abroad. Agencies are trying to bring them back with a varied degree of success so far.
According to Interpol, Indian agencies are looking for 276 fugitives globally through RCNs, including some high-profile economic offenders.
(With PTI inputs)
