Was gang rivalry behind the airport gold heist?

Arun Gawli's men have made deep inroads into the airport over the past few months; Dawood, Rajan, Pujari gangs also active there

The involvement of the underworld in pulling off the daring heist at the Mumbai airport yesterday has emerged as a strong possibility, revealed police sources. A gang managed to loot a consignment of 145 kg of gold and silver coins worth about Rs 55 lakh from the airport's cargo terminal yesterday.

Preliminary investigations revealed that dozens of hardcore criminals, owing allegiance to gangster-turned-politician Arun Gawli, have managed to make deep inroads into Mumbai's Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in the past few months.

Gang members have managed to infiltrate the airport masquerading as loaders in the absence of a foolproof screening system.

Joint Commissioner of Police (law and order) K L Prasad confirmed, "We are investigating the possibility of gangs operating in and around the airport."

War of control

Some of Gawli's key associates had earlier confessed to cops that they managed to use their muscle power to get jobs through indirect employment with contractors at the airport.

In fact, gangster Dawood Ibrahim's drug syndicate has been using its network to smuggle Mandrax consignments out of Mumbai safely. Rival Chhota Rajan's men are also active in providing cover to traffickers for a hefty protection price.

Gangsters like Ravi Pujari and Chhota Shakeel are also trying to grab a foothold as clearing and forwarding agents operating at the airport. Many members are even engaged in the octroi evasion rackets.

Now, the presence of Gawli's henchmen could give rise to inter-gang rivalry and even intimidate other airline employees, sources informed.

More CCTV

Meanwhile, city cops are planning to install dozens of Closed-Circuit TV (CCTV) cameras on all roads leading to the airport to keep tabs on activities in the high security zone.

Detailed plans to install cameras across the city, including the airport, have been submitted to the government.

Murder in the hangar
There have been six underworld killings in the past, in as many years. The gunning of informer Amjad Khan near the airport in 2006 was also a result of a bitter inter-gang rivalry.

In fact, members of the Arun Gawli gang were involved in the murder of Shiv Sena MLA Ramesh More in 1986, over an inter-gang dispute between the workers
at the airport.

145 kg
The gold consignment looted from the airport's cargo terminal

Rs 55 lakh
Total value of the silver coins that were stolen yesterday