Headley's assets worth crores spread across US, Pak and Gulf

Sleuths piece together property details from suspects friends network

There were indications that Headley was into real estate business in a Gulf country as per documents procured by the security agencies and the National Investigating Agency (NIA), probing the role of Headley and his Pakistani-Canadian accomplice Tahawwur Rana.

According to sources privy to the investigations, the 49-year-old Headley owns palatial houses in Pakistan and the US besides flats in a Gulf country and vast land estates running into several crores of rupees.

An eye-opener
The sources said the probe findings were an eye-opener as the investigators were trying to ascertain the financial transactions of Headley, who was arrested by the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Chicago on October 3, 2009.

The investigators were trailing the credit card payments made by Headley, charged by the FBI with conspiring in the 26/11 attacks, while he was staying in Mumbai and travelling across the rest of the country, including Delhi, Ajmer, Goa and Pune. While majority of transactions were carried out by Headley with cash only, he had used his credit cards including an American Express card for purchases in Mumbai and for paying bills at five-star hotels in the megapolis.

NIA had already asked the FBI to provide details of bank statements and credit card payments made by Headley, the sources said, adding some of the information was still awaited from the US investigators.

According to the sources, the investigators had been able to find details about Headley’s properties from his ‘friends’ network in India, which included detailed questioning of a noted Mumbai socialite. The American terror suspect had been provided with nearly Rs 15 lakh in cash by Lashker-e-Toiba for spending in India and building a network of friends who could have helped him in conducting various surveillance exercises.

NIA charge sheet soon
The NIA was likely to file a charge sheet against the duo soon. The investigating agency, which came into existence after the 26/11 attacks, have registered a case against the duo for conspiring to wage war against the country and under other sections of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.