Corrupt customs cops pay for their greed

Two men from the marine preventive wing of the customs department were recently arrested by a CBI-ACB team after a dramatic chase. The duo had been demanding a bribe from a mobile phone dealer to clear his consignment.
The arrested duo has been identified as Vijay Gaikwad and Ganpat Naik, both constables with the with customs department.

According to sources from the Central Bureau of Investigations (CBI), on August 26, 2013, a phone dealer approached them alleging that Gaikwad had detained his mobile phone consignment and was demanding a bribe of Rs50,000 to release it. Since the dealer didn’t have the full amount, Gaikwad released the consignment on the assurance that the victim would pay him Rs10,000 every month, for five months.

On September 24, the duo called the victim to a hotel in Churchgate to collect the money. Accordingly, a trap was laid at the spot and a team of CBI sleuths waited inside the hotel for the accused to arrive. “To our surprise, Naik came on a motorcycle, picked up the victim who was waiting outside the hotel, and drove away. Our team tried following the bike, but we couldn’t trace them,” said a CBI officer, requesting anonymity.

Naik then took the bike to a lane where Gaikwad was waiting. After taking the money from the victim, they set him free. Later, the victim told the CBI team what had happened.

The CBI then managed to apprehend Gaikwad and Naik from their respective houses and recovered the bribe money from them, sources said.

“We have also recovered a diary from Naik’s possession in which there are entries of bribes he has collected
from various businessmen. Searches carried out at their residences also resulted in the seizure of incriminating documents relating to investments made by them. The two are in the custody of the CBI till September 30,” the officer said.