A top Dubai police official has said that they would extradite criminals wanted by India only when they get people wanted by them from India.

"Extradition works two ways. Only when we receive people wanted by our government, can we track down and hand over criminals wanted by the other part," Commander-in-Chief of

Dubai Police Major General Dhahi Khalfan Tamim said. "If you see files at the moment, we have 68 cases of extradition pending with the Indian government. The UAE police wants these 68 people for murder, theft and serious financial crimes. However, due to lack of cooperation by the authorities there (India), these culprits are not being traced nor brought to book," he said in an interview to The Khaleej Times daily.

"In contrast there are only four people that the Indian government wants us to hand over. The equation is far from balanced. We need more cooperation on that front. Clearly we cannot be tracking down criminals for them, when they are shielding ours," Tamim said without specifically mentioning names.

Earlier this month, at least five associates of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, including his brother Noora were detained by Dubai authorities, but reportedly allowed to flee the port city even as the Central Bureau of Investigation had alerted the Interpol.

The other four were Mohammed Dossa, Ejaj Pathan, Mustafa Majun and Salim Talwar, all accused in the Mumbai blasts case.

Tamim said the detained persons had no criminal record in Dubai. "Obviously the local police has nothing to hold against them on paper," he said. "However, if we know for certain that he (a criminal) is wanted for a crime in some other country then he is unconditionally asked to leave the UAE."

On the recent murder of Sharad Shetty, an Indian businessman with alleged links with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim at the India Club in Dubai, he said the case was being probed. "It (the murder) is part of an organised criminal network that operates from outside the country," he said. "A social club where families and children come to unwind cannot even remotely give refuge to anti-social elements."

He added that a list of persons under suspicion has been sent to the UAE interior ministry for their residential status to be reviewed immediately.

"Our target is not one community or nationality but the erring party, no matter who they are. Indians have always been a peace loving people and that is what makes them welcome in

Dubai," he said. "But a gradual changing of values in the third generation expatriates has made them increasingly vulnerable to the lure of monetary gains, the means to which are not always legal."