Key Dawood aide Iqbal Mirchi arrested in London

Memon Iqbal Mohammed alias Iqbal Mirchi, a top global drug lord and key aide of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim,  has been arrested by authorities in London, sources in the Mumbai Crime Branch have confirmed.

However, there has been no official communication informing about Mirchi's arrest to either the Interpol, the Mumbai Crime Branch or the Central Bureau of Investigation. A Crime Branch source informed rediff.com that Mirchi has been arrested by the police in Essex for allegedly threatening a local businessman. "We do not think there is any hope of extradition or deportation as it's a local matter and the authorities have not contacted India,"

said the source.

Mirchi is known to handle Dawood's drug trade.  

The Interpol has issued a red corner notice against Mirchi. India tried to extradite Mirchi in 1995, but was unsuccessful. Since then he had sought permission to live in London from the British home office and was granted the same. He was reportedly living in Essex town of Hornchurch in the UK. However, he is also banned from entry in the United States since 2005.

Born on 25th April 1950, Mirchi is wanted in India for several crimes. He owned properties worth crores in Mumbai and Madhya Pradesh, which were eventually auctioned by authorities. ccording to a United Nations report Mirchi is currently ranked amongst top 50 global drug barons.