UN designated international terrorist and underworld gangster Dawood Ibrahim

Thane police seized AK-56 rifle two weeks ago. The rifle belongs to cache of weapons associated with 1993 Mumbai blasts

In a surprising development, it has come to light that the AK-56 rifle recovered by the Thane Police's anti extortion cell two weeks ago belongs to the cache of arms smuggled at the time of 1993 Mumbai blasts. The arms were smuggled into the country by Dawood Ibrahim, Tiger Menon and members of their gang. A source privy to the investigation has confirmed this to India Today TV.

The rifle had the same marking as those found on the weapons seized in the early nineties.

The rifle seized by thane police was found wrapped in a newspaper from year 1997.

It has come to light that this rifle was handed over to accused Naeem Khan by a close aide of gangster Chhota Shakeel.

Naeem reportedly received a call from Anwar, Shakeel's younger brother who is based in Pakistan, who then asked him to keep the arms and ammunition cache at his residence. Naeem was later arrested in a MCOCA case by Mumbai Police and the weapons cache remained at his residence.

His wife Yasmeen was then arrested and Thane police sought Naeem's custody. He then revealed about Anwar's call to him from Pakistan.

Police are carrying out further interrogation to know whether the weapon was used all these years.

The rifle has Chinese inscriptions on it. Similar inscriptions were seen on the weapons previously seized by the police.

It has been found out that the weapon was made in the year 1966 when China was an ally of USSR. The rifle is of the same make as that of those found in the cache.

RDX and other weapons used to carry out 1993 Mumbai blasts were smuggled into the country from Pakistan via different landing points in Gujarat and coast of Maharashtra.

A primary report from ballistics division of Kalina Forensic Science Laboratory confirmed the similarity between the rifle and weapons in the cash.