Like Haji Mastan, ‘Diesel King’ was trained at Mumbai docks

Like Karim Lala, Haji Mastan and Vardarajan Mudaliar, Sayyed Ali Madar alias Chand, who was shot at by two unknown assailants outside the GPO on Wednesday, had learnt the tricks of his trade at the sprawling Mumbai docks. Over a period of time, he became a force to be reckoned with and earned the nickname of ‘Diesel King’.

Chand owns several properties around Charnal and Dongri, including a spacious hotel. He also has a fleet of fancy cars, including a Mitsubishi Pajero which he loves. In fact, a part of the underworld-based film Once Upon a Time In Mumbai was shot at one of Chand’s properties, situated above Azad Hotel at Dongri.

Born in a poor family of a remote Tamil Nadu village, Chand moved to Mumbai at an early age and found odd jobs at the docks. Later, he, along with his partner Sadruddin, started operating independently and mastered the art of smuggling diesel into the country.

He acquired a fleet of medium-sized barges and high-speed fishing trawlers which were used in the smuggling of diesel. Chand’s modus operandi was to buy diesel from big cargo ships.
Evading coastal security agencies, including the navy, coast guard, customs and coastal police patrols, the barges would re-enter the city coastline along the Nhava-Sheva belt.

Chand also started dealing in scrap, comprising iron, steel, electric cables, bronze or brass that get accumulated on board.
Chand and Sadruddin were arrested twice by the DRI, between 2004-2007. They were later held under the Conservation of Foreign Exchange and Prevention of Smuggling Activities (Cofeposa) Act and spent a year in detention.