Mumbai police today arrested an alleged oil and red sanders mafia kingpin in connection with the seizure of red sanders worth Rs 9 crore.
In a joint operation by the Coast Guard and the Directorate of Revenue Intelligence, 23 tonnes of red sanders worth Rs 9 crore had been seized yesterday while it was being smuggled to Dubai through the sea route.
The two central agencies handed over the 20 persons involved in the smuggling to Mumbai Police Crime Branch which placed them under arrest yesterday.
"Today, we arrested their gang's kingpin Mohammed Ali Abu Bakar Shaikh," a crime branch officer said.
According to police, the barge MV Ganga Sagar sailed from Mumbai with around 23 tonnes of red sanders for transfer at sea to the dhow 'Al Marwan, 10' which sailed from Veraval in Gujarat showing consignment of 100 metric tonnes of maize for Dubai.
The arrangement was that MV Ganga Sagar and Al Marwan will meet at Bombay High to transfer the 23 tonnes highly valued illegal consignment.
Before the gang could execute the plan, the Coast Guard and the DRI nabbed them.
Accused Mohammed Ali had been earlier arrested in a murder case of another oil mafia and is suspected to have links with underworld gangs.
