Mumbai, Feb 10 (IANS): The Gujarat ATS early on Monday arrested March 12, 1993 Mumbai serial blasts absconding accused Munaf Halari Moosa from Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport here, officials said.

Evading the law since nearly 27 years, Moosa had been on the Gujarat ATS' wanted list for a drug smuggling racket since the past couple of years after a huge consignment of narcotics worth around Rs 15 billion was caught last year.

Following a tip-off that he was planning to leave India to go to Dubai, a Gujarat ATS team lay in wait for him and arrested him at the CSMIA.

In a statement, Gujarat ATS DSP K.K. Patel said that they have recovered a Pakistani passport from Moosa.

After the serial blasts - which left some 260 people dead, Moosa had sneaked out of the country and was reportedly holed up in South Africa.

The sources said that Moosa is believed to be linked with the Iqbal Mirchi-led international drug syndicate, and further investigations are underway.

Incidentally, the name of Moosa is mentioned as a "co-conspirator" in the first remand application filed by the Mumbai Police after the serial blasts, along with other accused and wanted fugitives, for procuring three Bajaj Chetak scooters.

These scooters, laden with the deadly RDX and timers, were planted in different locations like Kalbadevi, Zaveri Bazaar and Juhu Centaur Hotel where they were ultimately exploded, killing scores of people, said the remand plea after the probe by the L.T. Marg Police Station then.