The Special Cell of the Delhi Police has dismantled a major terror module linked to the Dawood Ibrahim syndicate that was actively planning coordinated attacks in Delhi and Mumbai, following the arrest of eight accused. Interrogation of the suspects has reinforced longstanding intelligence assessments that Clifton Road, Karachi, remains Dawood Ibrahim's primary base of operations — and that the ISI continues to provide him active cover.

The Clifton Connection

According to officials involved in the investigation, the operation was being directed from the Clifton Road area of Karachi, near the Saudi Mosque — widely regarded as Dawood's most secure address. Investigators say Dawood maintains five addresses, all within Karachi: two in Clifton, and others in Defence Housing Authority, the Noorbad area, and 617 CP Berar Society. 'The very fact that the operation was being handled from the Clifton Road area makes it clear that Dawood Ibrahim is residing there,' an official said.

Officials further noted that all of Dawood's close associates reside in proximity to him, and that drug operations as well as terror modules are coordinated from the Clifton area. The ISI's Karachi Regional Directorate — a major field office separate from the national headquarters in Islamabad — is said to oversee his protection directly.

Post-Operation Sindoor Movements

Following Operation Sindoor, reports had emerged of Dawood being relocated. An Intelligence Bureau official confirmed that he was briefly moved across his five Karachi addresses to reduce his exposure to potential Indian military action. However, according to officials, once the immediate threat perception subsided, Dawood returned to his primary Clifton address.

ISI's Role in the Module

The Delhi Police probe revealed that several ISI officials were directly embedded in the planning process. They reportedly held regular meetings with Muddasar Hussain Sayyed, alias Munna Jhingada — identified as a key aide of Dawood Ibrahim — and provided operational instructions for executing attacks on Indian soil.

Jhingada is said to have established a command centre near Dawood's Clifton residence, which was monitored and guarded by ISI personnel. Investigators found that Jhingada and his associates oversaw every stage of the operation — from recruitment to arms procurement. The ISI also reportedly facilitated the weapons pipeline: Jhingada, with ISI assistance, arranged for hand grenades to be dropped in Gurdaspur, Punjab. Delhi Police seized a large cache of weapons and grenades during the operation.

Targets, Funding, and Escape Plan

Primary targets were confirmed as Delhi and Mumbai, with additional cities earmarked depending on the outcome of the first wave of attacks. The Dawood syndicate had reportedly allocated ₹20 lakh as payment upon successful completion of the operation.

Officials described this as more of a structured 'hit operation' than a conventional terror strike — a deliberate choice, they said, that explains why the ISI opted to route it through the underworld. The plan was designed to be cost-effective and easy to execute, with grenades targeted at prominent locations.

The accused were also promised a post-attack escape route: safe passage into Nepal, followed by onward travel to Dubai, according to investigators. The module's unravelling by the Special Cell has for now neutralised the immediate threat, but officials indicate that broader network linkages remain under investigation.