An otherwise innocuous international peace conclave in Mumbai has quietly come under the scrutiny of Indian intelligence agencies after officials flagged the presence of certain participants and organisations allegedly linked to controversial international financial and criminal networks. The event, Billionaires for Peace, scheduled to be held later this month at Mumbai’s Grand Hyatt hotel, is expected to bring together prominent business leaders, international delegates, peace activists, and personalities associated with the Nobel Peace Prize.
What has triggered concern within sections of the Indian security establishment is not the event itself, but the background of some of the individuals and organisations associated with it. According to highly-placed intelligence sources, agencies have been examining whether certain international entities participating in the conclave have links to networks previously flagged in global investigations, involving money laundering, organised crime and questionable diplomatic operations.
At the centre of the intelligence scrutiny is IIMSAM (Intergovernmental Institution for the Use of Microalgae Spirulina Against Malnutrition). Particular attention has been drawn to the strategic partnership signed last month between the conclave organiser, the I Am Peacekeeper Movement (IAPM), and IIMSAM UN Asia. To formalise the partnership, an MoU was signed between IIMSAM UN Asia’s Dr Sahil Singh and IAPM’s Dr Huzaifa Khorakiwala, who is also the CEO of pharma major Wockhardt. Intelligence officials say the alliance brought IIMSAM directly into focus because the organisation does not enjoy formal diplomatic recognition from India’s Ministry of External Affairs, despite presenting itself internationally as an intergovernmental institution.
IIMSAM is an organisation that presents itself internationally as a humanitarian and intergovernmental body. Indian intelligence officials say concerns have emerged because several individuals associated with IIMSAM over the years have figured in criminal investigations, financial fraud cases or international controversies across multiple countries.
The matter acquired greater sensitivity after Pakistan’s Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) reportedly alleged that Gulf-based businessman Umer Farooq Zahoor, who was appointed an ambassador of IIMSAM last year, had links with fugitive gangster and designated global terrorist Dawood Ibrahim’s network. According to the intelligence inputs reviewed by this publication, Pakistan FIA chief Sanaullah Abbasi allegedly described Zahoor as “a partner of Dawood” in an official report.
Zahoor has also reportedly been investigated in Norway in connection with financial crime allegations. FIA records cited in the dossier claim he travelled to Pakistan more than 60 times between 2006 and 2019 and attended high-level meetings during the Imran Khan government. The records further state that an Interpol Red Notice issued against him was later cancelled after Norwegian authorities allegedly failed to respond to Interpol queries within the stipulated period.
Intelligence officials say the concern is not based on the presence of any one individual alone, but on what they describe as a broader pattern involving controversial international figures finding association with certain organisations now connected to the Mumbai conclave. One official familiar with the assessment said agencies are examining whether humanitarian and diplomatic platforms are being used by dubious networks to build legitimacy, access and influence in India.
Security agencies are also revisiting several earlier controversies linked to IIMSAM. According to intelligence documents, the European Union had previously categorised IIMSAM-linked passports under “Fantasy and Camouflage Passports”, meaning they were not considered valid for Schengen travel. One security official quoted in the dossier described this as a “major security concern”, particularly because the documents were allegedly manufactured by a German company that also prints Indian passports.
The intelligence inputs further note that several former ambassadors or associates linked to IIMSAM have, over the years, faced criminal allegations or investigations in different jurisdictions. Among them is Jordanian businessman Khaled Shaheen, who was convicted in a bribery scandal and later arrested in Germany following an Interpol notice. Another former ambassador and UAE businessman, Sulaiman al Fahim, part of IIMSAM, was jailed in 2018 in a financial fraud case.
The dossier also mentions Cristian Eduardo Tietze of Mexico, against whom the Vatican and Philippine authorities reportedly issued warnings in 2020 after he allegedly misrepresented links with Pope Francis and the Holy See while soliciting donations during the Covid period. According to the intelligence inputs, Tietze currently figures on the IIMSAM website as an under-secretary-general for institutional development.
Indian agencies are additionally examining the activities of another IIMSAM-linked figure, filmmaker Amjad Khan, who participated in anti-CAA protests at Jamia Millia Islamia and JNU in 2020 and had publicly criticised the Citizenship Amendment Act.
Officials emphasise that the intelligence assessment at this stage is precautionary in nature. The concern, they say, is that internationally branded humanitarian or diplomatic platforms may potentially be exploited by individuals seeking credibility or institutional access despite facing scrutiny elsewhere. Given Dawood Ibrahim’s continuing relevance in India’s national security framework decades after the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, even indirect associations with individuals allegedly linked to his network are treated seriously by Indian agencies.
No official statement has yet been issued by the organisers of the Billionaires for Peace conclave, IIMSAM, or the individuals named in the intelligence inputs regarding the concerns raised by officials. Many of the claims referred to in the intelligence dossiers remain allegations or assessments cited by agencies and have not been tested in Indian courts. Nevertheless, the presence of controversial international associations around the high-profile peace conclave has made the even a matter of significant interest for Indian intelligence agencies.
(Dharmesh Thakkar is a Mumbai-based investigative journalist)
