Mangalore: Two aides of Malabari held

Two more persons belonging to the dreaded D-Company were picked up in Mangalore.

Detained for questioning, Ismail Kaup and Athik, the police say, were closely associated with Rashid Malabari.

The names of Ismail, a resident of Kaup and Athik who hails from Kasargod cropped up during the questioning of Malabari who came into India [ Images ] to undertake the assassination of Varun Gandhi [ Images ] and Pramod Muthalik [ Images ].

Sources told rediff.com the two were in charge of the logistics for the D-Company.

During the interrogation of Malabari, it was revealed that both Athik and Ismail were local residents and they were providing logistic support to the D-Company.

The role assigned to Malabari was also to create a safe channel for the D Gang in Mangalore. He was told by his bosses to set up strong bases in the Mangalore belt. Through Mangalore, the D Gang wanted to supply both arms and ammunition and also fund hawala transactions.

Besides, they wanted to create a southern corridor starting at Mangalore which would then eventually spread to Bengaluru [ Images ], Chennai and Kerala [ Images ].

Intelligence Bureau officials say the modus operandi could have spilt into something larger. The D-Company and the Lashkar-e-Tayiba [ Images ] have been working in close circles since some time and there were plans afloat to create a souther corridor. The LeT was planning on using the route utilized by Dawood to carry out terror operations.