Gangster Ejaz Lakdawala, wanted in cases of extortion and attempt to murder, was on Thursday arrested by the Mumbai police's Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) after being on the run for over two decades.

Ejaz Lakdawala

Once a close aide of gangster Dawood Ibrahim, Lakdawala, 50, was wanted in at least 27 cases in Maharashtra, including 25 in Mumbai, and as many as 80 people had filed complaints against him. Lakdawala worked with Chota Rajan when underworld don worked for Dawood Ibrahim before the two parted ways in 1993.

The Operation

Mumbai police's Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) had been on the tail of Lakdawala for the last many years as most extortion threats from the gangster were directed to Mumbai-based builders.

Lakdawala's main target was Western suburbs of Mumbai.

Lakdawala's cousin Sameer Lakdawala, wanted in 2012 extortion case of a Mumbai-based builder, was arrested in February 2019. It was Sameer's arrest that helped the special cell to gather information about Lakdawala.

Two months later in April, Lakdawala's brother Aqueel Lakdawala was arrested in four cases of extortion. This helped police to trace Lakdawala's daughter Soniya, who was married to one Shahid Shaikh and had changed her name to Shifa Shaikh.

Post Soniya's arrest, AEC officials continued to keep a close eye on her movements. Last month, AEC officials received a tip-off that Soniya was travelling to Nepal using a fake passport. Acting on the input, the police nabbed Soniya on December 28. Under arrest in an extortion case, Soniya provided crucial details about Lakdawala to the police during interrogation. It was Soniya who told the Mumbai Police of Lakdawala's Patna visit on January 8.

Realising they were close to arresting the gangster, the police laid a trap with the help of Bihar Police at Jakhanpur bus stop. Lakdawala was finally arrested on Wednesday. Following his arrest, the gangster was brought to Mumbai and placed under arrest at around 10:30 pm. On Thursday morning, he was produced in the court and remanded to police custody till January 21.

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How Lakdawala used technology to evade arrest

AEC officials had traced Lakdawala's mobile number but couldn't track his location which changed multiple times in a single day. With the arrest of the gangster, however, police learnt that Lakdawala used a special software on his mobile phone which helped him jump locations at any given point of time.

Lakdawala was born in Pydhonie in Mumbai in a business family. The family shifted to Mahim and Lakdawala studied in the saint Stanislaus school in Bandra before shifting to Jogeshwari. It was in Jogeshwari that he came in touch with associates of Anees Ibrahim.

Ibrahim roped in Lakdawala who then helped provide details from Bollywood for extortion. While working for Anees, Lakdawala became friends with Rajan and started worked with him. When the gang split after 1993 serial blasts, Lakdawala chose Rajan.

Lakdawala was first arrested for the murder of one Haren Mehta in 1993. Lakdawala had killed Mehta over a spat while playing cricket.

He was later acquitted in the case in 1995.

While he was behind bars, he came in touch with Sunil Madgaonkar -- a Chota Rajan henchman. Madgaonkar, also known as Madya, then roped in Lakdawala for the murder of Farid Rajji. He was arrested for the murder of Dawood Ibrahim gang member Farid Rajji in 1996.

Rajji's brother was a close aide of Chota Shakeel and was named one of the key accused in the 1993 blasts case. Rajji was shot dead on Mohamad Ali road. During the shoot out, Lakdawala suffered a bullet injury to his leg which led to his arrest. He was jailed in the Nashik prison. However, in 1998, when he was being taken for a medical check-up at JJ hospital in Mumbai, Lakdawala fled from custody. Since then, Lakdawala had been on the run.

Birth of the Lakdawala gang: From Africa to Nepal

After fleeing the country in 1998, Lakdawala went to Malaysia where he again started working for Rajan as he took control over his extortion business.

In 2000, Rajan was attacked by Munna Jhingada on orders of Chota Shakeel in Bangkok. Rajan survived the attack and had to flee from Bangkok. Lakdawala, meanwhile, kept running the gang from Bangkok. In 2002, Lakdawala too was attacked by shooters of Shakeel.

Six bullets hit Lakdawala. After recovering, he shifted base to Canada. Lakdawala then remained in Canada for a few years but the Rajan gang was on the verge of collapse.

Lieutenants like Bharat Nepali, Ravi Pujari, Santosh Shetty and others had already started working on their own.

By 2005, Lakdawala shifted to Ghana where he started his own gang with the help of his brother in Mumbai. The gang would target builders and information was provided by Lakdawala's foot soldiers in Mumbai. Some places where threats didn't work, Lakdawala used shooters to scare people.

After Ghana, he went to the United States and United Kingdom for some time. For the past few years, Lakdawala was based out of Kathmandu, Nepal. In Kathmandu, he reportedly disguised as one Chaudhary who was also known as Bhaijaan. The gang operated from a garments shop in Kathmandu -- which operated for around eight years in a prime market in the city.