Dawood Ibrahim: Verified Facts, Official Sources, and Unanswered Questions

If you’ve ever searched for “most wanted” lists, Dawood Ibrahim is a name that keeps surfacing—but separating fact from rumor around him is harder than most people expect. He was added to the UN Security Council’s al-Qaida sanctions list on 3 November 2003 under Resolution 1267, yet his exact whereabouts remain officially unconfirmed.

Born: 1955 (exact date unknown) ·
Alias: Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar ·
Organization: D-Company ·
Status: Designated global terrorist by UN and India ·
Bounty: ₹25 lakh (Indian govt) plus US reward ·
Last confirmed location: Pakistan (alleged safe haven)

The following table condenses Dawood Ibrahim’s official identifiers from UN and EU sources.

What is the latest verified information about Dawood Ibrahim?

Current UN sanctions status

• Dawood Ibrahim remains on the UN Security Council’s al-Qaida sanctions list under Resolution 1267, a designation that includes asset freezes, travel bans, and arms embargoes (United Nations Security Council).
• The EU maintains the same designation in its consolidated sanctions regulation, last confirmed in August 2016 (EUR-Lex).

Recent Indian government statements

• India’s Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) continues to list Ibrahim as wanted, with a Red Notice issued by Interpol in 2003.
• Extradition requests to Pakistan have been made repeatedly; the most recent confirmed renewal was in 2011.

Any verifiable movement or sighting reports

• No confirmed arrest or death has been reported as of 2025.
• Alleged sightings in Karachi, Pakistan, have not been corroborated by official sources.

What should readers know first about Dawood Ibrahim?

Background and early life

• Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar was born on 26 December 1955 in Kher, Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, India, the son of a police constable (U.S. Department of the Treasury).
• He grew up in Mumbai and entered the criminal underworld in his teens.

Criminal career and D-Company

• In the 1970s, he founded D-Company, a syndicate that diversified into smuggling, extortion, and drug trafficking.
• The U.S. Treasury described him as an Indian crime lord who found common cause with al-Qaida (U.S. Department of the Treasury).

Role in the 1993 Mumbai bombings

• The UN Security Council summary states Ibrahim is wanted in India for the 12 March 1993 Bombay Exchange bombings, which killed over 250 people and injured more than one thousand (United Nations Security Council).
• Indian courts convicted him in absentia; the chargesheet includes witness testimony linking him to planning and financing the attacks.

The implication: the 1993 bombings remain the central charge against Ibrahim, and official sources uniformly agree on his role.

Which official sources confirm key claims about Dawood Ibrahim?

UN Security Council sanctions list

• Listed on 3 November 2003 for association with al-Qaida, Usama bin Laden, and the Taliban (United Nations Security Council).
• The listing covers asset freezes, travel bans, and arms embargoes.

Interpol Red Notice

• Interpol issued a Red Notice in 2003 at India’s request. The notice remains active (OpenSanctions).

Indian government chargesheet

• The CBI chargesheet includes extensive witness statements and forensic evidence placing Ibrahim at the center of the 1993 conspiracy.

US Treasury designation

• Designated as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist under Executive Order 13224 on 16 October 2003 (U.S. Department of the Treasury).
• A Treasury fact sheet further characterizes him as the son of a police constable and says he is wanted for the 1993 bombings (U.S. Department of the Treasury).

The implication: every major international and national security apparatus—UN, Interpol, US Treasury, Indian CBI—has independently placed Dawood Ibrahim on its most-wanted list. The consistency across these sources is rare and underscores the weight of the evidence.

What is still unclear or unverified about Dawood Ibrahim?

Current exact location

• He is widely reported to be in Karachi, Pakistan, but no government has officially confirmed his residence or movements.
• Pakistan has not publicly acknowledged his presence on its soil.

Health and family status

• Unverified reports suggest he has suffered from heart ailments, but no medical records or official statements exist.

Extent of current criminal operations

• D-Company remains active, but analysts disagree on whether Ibrahim still exercises direct control or has delegated authority.

Direct involvement in recent attacks

• No verified link connects Ibrahim to any terrorist attack after 2000.

What this means: the gap between what is officially proven and what circulates in media and social speculation is wide. Most “inside” stories about his health, wealth, or daily life are not backed by citable sources.

The pattern: without official confirmation, these details remain speculative and should be treated with caution.

What are the most common user questions on Dawood Ibrahim?

How did he evade capture for so long?

• Evasion is attributed to alleged protection by elements within Pakistan’s state apparatus, cross-border safe havens, and the difficulty of extraterritorial law enforcement.

What is his net worth?

• Estimates vary wildly from $1 billion to $20 billion; no official figure exists.

Is he still powerful?

• His influence is believed to have diminished due to age, internal D-Company factionalism, and sustained international pressure.

Timeline

1. 1955 — Dawood Ibrahim born in Kher, Ratnagiri, Maharashtra, India. (United Nations Security Council Consolidated List)
2. 1970s — Founds D-Company, a criminal syndicate involved in smuggling, extortion, and drug trafficking. (OpenSanctions)
3. 1993 — Implicated in the 1993 Mumbai bombings; Indian court later convicts him in absentia. (United Nations Security Council)
4. 16 Oct 2003 — US Treasury designates him as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist. (U.S. Department of the Treasury)
5. 3 Nov 2003 — UN Security Council places him on the sanctions list under Resolution 1267; Interpol issues Red Notice. (United Nations Security Council Consolidated List)
6. 2006 — US Treasury reaffirms narcoterrorist designation. (U.S. Department of the Treasury)
7. 2011 — India renews extradition request to Pakistan; no response. (EUR-Lex)
8. 2025 — No verified update; remains on UN sanctions list and wanted by India. (United Nations Security Council)

“Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar is associated with the Taliban and Al-Qaida.”

— United Nations Security Council Sanctions Committee

“Dawood Ibrahim is the mastermind behind the 1993 Mumbai bombings.”

— Indian Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) spokesperson, cited in U.S. Treasury fact sheet

“Dawood Ibrahim has found common cause with al-Qaida.”

— U.S. Department of the Treasury

The pattern across these three sources—UN, India, US—is remarkable: each independently links Ibrahim to global terrorism despite different legal frameworks. The UN ties him to al-Qaida; India ties him to the 1993 bombings; the US calls him a narcoterrorist. That triple alignment is what makes his case unusual.

Summary

For Indian law enforcement and the international security community, the case against Dawood Ibrahim is not about mystery—it is about enforcement. The evidence, as documented by the UN, US Treasury, and Indian courts, is concrete and consistent. The unanswered questions involve his location and current influence, not his guilt or his designation. For readers who want to separate verified fact from rumor, the path is clear: start with the UN sanctions list, the Treasury designation, and the Interpol notice. Everything else is speculation until proven otherwise.

Frequently asked questions