Mumbai: In a new angle to the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts investigations, a close aide of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, Omar Mian Bukahri has been found to be allegedly instrumental in shipping explosives used in the serial blasts.

Bukhari, who was deported by Dubai and brought to Mumbai on December 8, has reportedly told the agency sleuths that he had handled a shipment of explosives that had been used in the 1993 serial blasts in Mumbai which left 257 people dead and property worth Rs 30 crore damaged, official sources said in Mumbai.

During his preliminary interrogation, Bukhari told the officials that he had handled huge quantity of explosives and silver off the Jamnagar coast in Gujarat after which it was handed over to a close aide of Dawood, the sources said.

They said the consignment had landed off the Jamnagar coast in February 1993 after which it was transported to Mumbai in phases. The same explosive was used in the March 12, 1993 serial bomb blasts.

The involvement of Bukhari in the serial blasts was not clear so far. He had managed to flee the country immediately after receiving it and transferring to Mumabi and settled in Dubai where he was running a trading corporation.

He used to get his passport renewed till a Porbandar court issued a non-bailable warrant against him in 2002 thus paving way for issuance of a Red Corner Notice by Interpol.

His arrest would help now the CBI in unravelling further the conspiracy behind the blasts, the sources said.

He is also facing charges of carrying out a series of attacks on Gujarat police officers in early 90's.