WASHINGTON, Oct 18: The United States has sent its designation request to the United Nations for action against Dawood Ibrahim, a leader of the Bombay underworld, US officials told Dawn on Saturday.

“The designation request has been submitted to the UN Sanctions Committee in New York,” said an official.

The US Treasury Department issued an order late on Thursday, declaring Dawood Ibrahim “a specially designated global terrorist” and ordered the seizure of all his assets in the United States.

The order also said that the US government will send a copy of the order to the UN and seek a similar designation from the world body. The action will be binding on all UN members once it is endorsed by the UN and they will also be obliged to freeze his assets and cooperate with international efforts to catch him. US officials said they were also urging the Gulf states, where Dawood Ibrahim had reportedly lived in the past and owns assets, to act against him.