Author: Sagnik Chowdhury
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: June 7, 2010
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/news/probing-role-of-2-in-custody-italy-seeks-city-update/628558/
The Mumbai Police Crime Branch has received
a request from the Italian anti-terror police, routed through the Ministry
of Home Affairs, seeking an update on the 26/11 probe so that they can investigate
the suspected involvement of a Pakistani father-son duo arrested in Brescia
last November.
"The Italian police have approached the
Government of India through diplomatic channels seeking information on certain
aspects of our 26/11 investigations. This request basically pertains to the
arrests of two 26/11 suspects in Italy last year. The Home Ministry has asked
us to respond to the request," said a Crime Branch officer.
Mohammed Yaqub Janjua, 60, and his son Aamer
Yaqub Janjua, 31, had allegedly made an illegal money transfer in the name
of Javed Iqbal from Madina Trading Company in Brescia to a New Jersey-based
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service provider, Callphonex, through
Western Union. The Callphonex VoIP platform was used by the 26/11 attackers
to communicate with their handlers in Pakistan.
Acting on information from the FBI and dossiers
India had passed on to several Western countries, Italy's anti-terror agency
DIGOS arrested father and son on November 21, on their arrival from Pakistan,
where they had fled after the attack. Italian customs agency Guardia di Finanza
was also involved in the operation.
Shortly after the arrests, the Crime Branch
had drafted a letter regotary (LR) aimed at securing information from the
Italian police, sources said. The proposal for the LR contained a detailed
questionnaire and facts of the 26/11 case. The proposal is yet to be cleared
by the Centre.
