Mumbai: ED on Tuesday morning started conducting searches at various locations across Mumbai on elements related to underworld don Dawood Ibrahim.

Sources privy to the investigation by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) against underworld don Dawood Ibrahim and his aides in a money laundering case said that Ibrahim is very active and running operations, carrying out terror extortion activities in India.

Betting remains the major operation of the gang in India and the Middle East, sources said, adding that hawala channels are being run from India and ill-gotten money of the gang is being pumped outside India to the Middle East.

The gang has "interests" in real estate projects in the country, sources said.

Some members of the gang are running operations in the country on the behest of Dawood Ibrahim, sources added.

The ED will question Dawood Ibrahim's brother Iqbal Kaskar, his aides and gang members. According to sources, ED officials could take Kaskar into custody and would question him regarding the operations of his brother's aides.

The money laundering case against Ibrahim and his aides pertains to their involvement in financing terror activities and disrupting law and order situation across the country.

Kaskar will be taken into custody following court approval of the application filed by the ED. Kaskar is presently in judicial custody after being charged under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA), following three cases of extortion registered against him by the Thane Police Crime Branch in 2017.

ED on Tuesday morning started conducting searches at various locations across Mumbai on elements related to Dawood Ibrahim. A team of ED officials also searched the residence of late Haseena Parkar, sister of Dawood Ibrahim, at Nagpada locality.

Other than Parkar, Salim Fruit who is the brother-in-law of Dawood gang's top operative, Chota Shakeel was also examined by ED officials for over nine hours and could be called again. Kaskar's close aides booked in the extortion case could also be examined as their residences in Thane were also searched.

The ED again summoned Salim Fruit for questioning on Wednesday. Salim Fruit has allegedly travelled to Pakistan and is working for the gang and running their operations from Bhendi Bazaar.