97 smugglers elude city cops

Ninety-seven people, who allegedly conducted their smuggling operations from the city and against whom detention orders were issued under the stringent Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities Act (Cofeposa), continue to be at large. 

The Detection of Crime Branch (DCB-CID) is the nodal agency to detain persons wanted under Cofeposa, but as a matter of practice, the local police stations too are informed periodically about them.

Of the 97, more than 30 are wanted since 1996 and 1997. Little appears to have been done in the last 10 years to nab them.

The names, addresses, detention order number, name of the central agency that issued the detention order and the photographs of the wanted are listed on the official website of the city police.

To make it easy for the officers, the website has listed the wanted under the police station under whose jurisdiction the residential business address of the smuggler falls.

The area-wise list throws up some interesting facts. Most of the wanted reside in south Mumbai and western suburbs of Bandra and Juhu.

Twenty five of the listed live in Zone nine comprising western suburbs with Bandra topping the list (7), Oshiwara (6), Juhu, Khar, DN Nagar, and Versova (3 each).

Zone-I of the city police comprising Colaba, Marine Lines, Dongri and LT Marg comes second with 22 on the list. 14 of these fall in the Dongri jurisdiction. Nagpada police station comes second with 8. Sources in Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, the agency that issued the largest number of detention orders, said, despite several meeting and letters written to the police, nothing has been done.

Police Commissioner DN Jadhav told DNA, “Let the DRI write to me again. We will take action.”