Indian security agencies scrambled today to confirm reports that Anees Ibrahim, brother of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and one of those most wanted in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case, had been detained at the airport in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, while he was trying to leave the country after a pilgrimage to Mecca.

“We have information that three people have been detained at Jeddah airport. But there is no official confirmation and neither has anyone approached us yet. We are trying to check who the three are and what the purpose of their detention is through official sources and informers,” said Rakesh Maria, Mumbai’s Joint Commissioner of Police (Crime).

Sources said that the Indian mission in Saudi Arabia had passed on details of the passports and identity of Anees, who is wanted under an Interpol Red Corner notice, to local authorities but were yet to hear from them until late on Tuesday.

According to sources, Anees Ibrahim Kaskar was travelling under the name Sayed Omar Haji Ebrahim and carrying a Pakistani passport. The other two are suspected to be Salim Chiplun travelling as Sikander Khan Iqbal Khan and Shamsher Dawood as Shafi Bawa Ahmed Bawa.

Sources in Gujarat said that Shamsher Dawood is none other than Sharifkhan Pathan, sharpshooter of former Ahmedabad underworld don Abdul Latif Abdul Wahab Shaikh.

Pathan is wanted by Gujarat Police for a number of offences including counterfeiting, forgery, crime involving the use of weapons and explosives, terrorism, thefts and kidnapping among others. A Red Corner notice has been issued against Pathan by the Interpol at the behest of CBI.

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