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Crime branch nabs fugitive don in Bangkok

Santosh Shetty, a former Rajan aide, wanted in 12 cases was sent to police custody till Aug 17.

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The Anti-Extortion Cell (AEC) of the Mumbai Police’s crime branch brought back fugitive gangster Santosh Shetty, 38, to Mumbai from Bangkok on Friday. Shetty was in the custody of the police in Thailand for the past seven-eight days.

Currently booked for using a fake Indian passport to stay in the Thai capital, the Esplanade court sent him to police custody till August 17. Shetty has over 12 cases registered against him in the city and several others registered at police stations across the country.

“His arrest should act as a signal for other gangsters hiding in foreign countries,” Himanshu Roy, JCP (crime), said. “They should realise we can go after them… arrest them, and bring them back to the country to face the court of law. His arrest will help us know more about the organisational structure of other gangs and uncover local networks.”

Shetty, a former Chhota Rajan aide, started his criminal career with smuggling narcotic and gold in 1988, Roy said. “He met Rajan in 1993 and was also in jail for five years. He got close to another Rajan aide, Bharat Nepali, in jail. He started working with Rajan after his release from jail.”

In 2002, when Chhota Shakeel gang members tried to kill Rajan, Shetty and Nepali saved his life and helped him flee from Bangkok. In 2005, Shetty formed his own gang, SS Syndicate, and carried out extortions and murders. But he controlled his gang mostly from South East Asian countries like Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Indonesia.

Roy said Shetty lured businessmen to Bangkok with huge loan offers. Once they reached there, he would kidnap them and extort money from their families. Shetty is believed to be part of an international smuggling racket.

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