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David Headley is currently serving a 35-year sentence in the US. (File)
David Headley, a US-Pakistani national who was arrested on October 3, 2009 in the United States for his role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks, was known to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), as he was arrested in 1988 and 1997 for heroin. -related crimes, according to top intelligence sources.
Headley’s release is back in the news, as the FBI is targeting Vikash Yadav for his alleged involvement in a plot to kill Khalistani terrorists and American citizen Gurpatwant Singh Pannun. During a press conference, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that he is no longer an employee of the Indian government. Although the US has not yet sought his extradition, it is likely to seek India’s help.
READ ALSO | David Headley, Rabinder Singh to Gurpatwant Singh Pannun: India’s Most Wanted Terrorists and the US Link
Indian intelligence agencies say Headley may have been an FBI informant before his involvement with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT). The FBI has faced criticism for not acting sooner to prevent Headley’s involvement in the 26/11 attacks.
The question of the agencies, according to the sources, is – since he was arrested twice, why was he not asked about his actions, especially when he is known as a terrorist group LeT?
2 ARE ARRESTED
Headley is a known criminal and began dealing heroin in New York City in the 1980s. In 1988, he was arrested for conspiracy to traffic in heroin and sentenced to four years, of which he served two years.
He was arrested for heroin trafficking in 1997 and served 15 months in prison.
READ ALSO | Hated India since childhood after my school was bombed in 1971, says Headley
While in prison, he apparently cooperated with the authorities, providing information about heroin trafficking around the world.
In his statement, he said he met LeT operatives when he was arrested the second time. Later, LeT exploited Headley’s criminal network to finance terrorism. According to sources, it is unbelievable that a defendant known to the FBI or the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) cannot be used for their own interests.
HE IS SERVING A 35 YEAR SENTENCE
Headley is currently serving a 35-year sentence in the United States after pleading guilty to 12 counts of international terrorism. On 10 December 2015, Headley became an endorser. On February 15, 2016, in a video from the US, Headley made “disclosures and revelations” about the 26/11 plot and his role in it.
READ ALSO | 14 Years and Counting, How India Struggles to Capture 26/11 Conspirator David Headley from the US
The US Department of Justice (DOJ) has accused Headley of recording material that may have been directed at Mumbai before 26/11. Headley reportedly changed his name to Daood Gilani to escape suspicion, after which he went on five trips to Mumbai and photographed potential terrorist hotspots.
India had been trying to get Headley out for 14 years. The agencies suspect that the reason may be the fear that he may expose his boss. “It is surprising that the United States is fighting terrorism, but it is not cooperating with the terrorist suspect who was the plotter in the murder of many people in Mumbai,” the sources said.