News Articles

Russian mafia's building it up in Goa

TIMES NEWS NETWORK[ WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2006 12:28:41 AM]
NEW DELHI: The National Security Council (NSC) has said the Russian mafia is making huge real estate investments in Goa. In a document detailing potential threats to national security via FDI, the NSC said the Russian mafia is using the real estate route to pump in money as the sector comes under automatic approval, requiring little scrutiny. The NSC, which has been arguing the need for identifying sensitive sectors and locations for FDI, said there was a need for reviewing such investments.

Domestic airline SpiceJet has also come under the NSC scanner. “Royal Airways, the owner of SpiceJet, has indulged in stock market manipulations. The credentials of foreign investors associated with the aviation enterprise have been questioned abroad,” the NSC said.

Detailing recent instances of sectoral threats, the NSC said Egypt’s mobile telecom company, Orascom Telecom Holdings, has the potential to be on board one of the country’s major telecom operators, Hutchinson Essar, through the Hong Kong route. “Orascom has received investments from the late Yasser Arafat’s organisation. It is the biggest telecom player in Pakistan and has a large share in Bangladesh. Orascom’s presence in an Indian company’s board is not in our national security interest, as it could gain access to our ICT assets and enhance the capabilities of our adversaries in gathering intelligence.”

The NSC paper said the presence of Chinese company Huawei is not in the nation’s interest. “A former PLA officer has established the company. He is a member of the Chinese Communist Party and is close to the Chinese government. Huawei has R&D operations in Bangalore and wants to expand its operations. Huawei’s expanded presence is not in our national security interest as it was noted that the company had tried to procure software clandestinely.”

The NSC has raised similar reservations about Dubai Ports World (DPW), which is connected with the operation of container terminals in Chennai, Vizag and Mundra. The DPW has also signed a build-operate-own (BOO) contract with the Cochin Port Trust for an international container terminal at Cochin. “If permitted, DPW’s personnel will be in close proximity to our vital naval installations and would have access to detailed information regarding arrival and berthing of merchant as well as naval vessels and movement of oil tankers.”

In what could force the government to rethink its plans to allow Great Wall Airlines to start cargo operations to Mumbai and Chennai, the NSC has said that 51% stake in the airline is owned by China’s state-owned CGWIC. “Sensitive installations are located close to these airports. CGWIC has close links with the PLA. It focuses on commercial development of space technology, and the US government, since 1991, has imposed sanctions on it several times for missile proliferation. The Chinese take keen interest in monitoring our nuclear establishments. Hence the presence of the airline is not desirable.”

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