Courier driver plotted Rs5.5 crore Bandra heist

A police sub-inspector of Marol local arms unit, a Navi Mumbai police constable and seven others have been arrested for allegedly robbing jewellery worth Rs5.5 crore from courier staff in Bandra last week.

The staff were taking the consignment of 60 packets to Sahar air cargo terminal on Thursday, when they were intercepted by two persons in police uniform who accused them of rash driving.

The Bandra police said investigations revealed that the plot to rob the consignment of gold and silver ornaments was hatched by the driver of the courier company Khusubuddin Mustafa Shaikh, 26, and his brother Nasim Mustafa Shaikh, 27. Khusubuddin, who lives in Navy Nagar, confessed the plan during interrogation.

As per the plan, the courier vehicle was tailed as it raced from Haji Ali and it was intercepted in Bandra. The two policemen involved were identified as sub-inspector Mahadev Ganpat Thengle and contable Mayur Dattatray Dangde.

The men in police uniform ordered the courier staff to come to the police station, while another two drove away in the courier company’s car. “They met at a predetermined place in Navi Mumbai where they divided the booty,” said S Kolekar, assistant commissioner of police. The police are still to recover the booty.