---
category: BCCI Scandal
summary: The Gokal brothers, Abbas Gokal, Murtaza Gokal, and Mustafa Gokal, were Pakistani
  businessmen who ran the Gulf Group, a London-based shipping company.
tags:
- Person
- BCCI
- CIA
---

The Gokal brothers, [Abbas Gokal](/people/abbas-gokal/), Murtaza Gokal, and Mustafa Gokal, were [Pakistani](/places/pakistan/) businessmen who ran the Gulf Group, a [London](/places/london/)-based shipping company.[^1] They were closely associated with [Agha Hasan Abedi](/people/agha-hasan-abedi/) and the [BCCI](/organizations/bank-of-credit-and-commerce-international/), and were believed to be BCCI's largest debtor.[^1]

### Business Operations and BCCI Connections

The Gokal brothers used BCCI money to build their shipping empire, chartering more ships in one year than [China](/places/china/) and [India](/places/india/) combined during their heyday.[^2] Their loans from BCCI topped out at $831 million in 1990 and were never repaid, contributing significantly to BCCI's financial problems.[^2]

Mustafa Gokal was named Pakistan's minister for shipping, a position facilitated by Abedi, highlighting the intertwined relationship between BCCI and the Pakistani government.[^3] The Gokal brothers were also used by BCCI as a front for various transactions, including an attempt to acquire Chelsea National Bank in [New York City](/places/new-york-city/) in 1975.[^4]

[^1]: Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. *The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI*. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 9.
[^2]: Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. *The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI*. New York: Random House, 1993, pp. 139-140.
[^3]: Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. *The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI*. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 315.
[^4]: Beaty, Jonathan and Gwynne, S. C. *The Outlaw Bank: A Wild Ride into the Secret Heart of BCCI*. New York: Random House, 1993, p. 11.