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33 years on, 12 convicted in Gujarat arms smuggling case linked to Dawood
A special TADA court in Jamnagar convicted 12 people in a 1993 Gujarat arms-smuggling case tied to Dawood Ibrahim and associates. The trial spanned over three decades, with 10 convicts receiving five-year terms and two receiving seven-year terms.
Why It Matters
The verdict highlights the duration and complexity of cross-border criminal cases and Dawood Ibrahim-linked plots, and underscores law enforcement’s persistence in pursuing long-running conspiracies that sought to trigger unrest after the Babri Masjid demolition.
Timeline
5 Events
Conviction of 12 accused
May 4, 2026
Special TADA court judge R P Mogera convicted 12 accused in the arms-smuggling case; 10 were sentenced to five years’ rigorous imprisonment and two to seven years’ rigorous imprisonment.
Mustafa Dossa dies
June 28, 2017
Mustafa Dossa alias Mustafa Majnu Seth, owner of the boat involved in the operation, died of cardiac arrest at Mumbai’s JJ Hospital.
FIR registered in Jamnagar
July 1993
An FIR was registered at Jamnagar B-division police station in July 1993.
Investigation begins
1993
The investigation into the case began in 1993 and continued for several years, led by now-retired IPS officers PK Jha and Satish Verma, and current CBI special director Manoj Shashidhar.
Babri Masjid demolition triggers arms-smuggling conspiracy
December 6, 1992
A conspiracy allegedly hatched by Dawood Ibrahim and associates based in Dubai and Pakistan aimed to avenge the Babri Masjid demolition by smuggling a large consignment of arms and explosives, including RDX, into India via the sea to carry out attacks and trigger communal unrest.