The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), in collaboration with Gujarat police and Interpol's NCB-Abu Dhabi, successfully extradited Dipakkumar Dhirajlal Thakkar, the alleged mastermind of a gambling racket valued at over Rs 2,273 crore. A team from the Gujarat Police, led by DIG Nirlipt Rai of the State Monitoring Cell (SMC), travelled to Dubai on August 27, 2024. They took custody of Thakkar and brought him back to India, where he was formally arrested in Gandhinagar at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday.
The CBI stated that Thakkar was wanted in connection with a criminal case registered on March 25, 2023, at Madhavpura Police Station in the Ahmedabad district of Gujarat. He is accused of being the "kingpin" of an international illegal gambling network that operated using special software and Hawala channels to launder over Rs 2,273 crore.
The Gujarat Police's State Monitoring Cell (SMC) has been investigating this case under the Prevention of Gambling Act, the Information Technology Act, and the Securities Contract Regulation Act.
According to Indian Express, the complaint revealed that Thakkar had conducted illegal stock market trades, specifically "dabba trading," through the Meta Trader Application on the Velocity Server at an office in Vejalpur. Thakkar, who is identified as the kingpin in the complaint, originally came from Bhabhar in Banaskantha but was residing in Dubai. The SMC obtained an open-dated arrest warrant against him under Section 70 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC).
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Lookout Circular (LOC) Against Thakkar
When authorities learned that Thakkar had left India on July 12, 2023, a lookout circular (LOC) was quickly issued. The SMC then contacted the CBI, which sought help from Interpol. As a result, Interpol issued a Red Corner Notice (RCN) for Thakkar on December 15, 2023, to all member countries, requesting his location and arrest. He was eventually tracked to Dubai through Interpol, leading to his arrest by UAE authorities on March 13, 2024.
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) submitted an extradition request for Thakkar to the UAE government on June 25, 2024. The UAE approved the request on August 8, after which the team led by DIG Rai travelled to Dubai to bring him back to India.