The mastermind of the Rs 27-lakh gold heist, who had been absconding for 18 months, was finally arrested, Matunga police said on Thursday. The 32-year-old accused had transformed himself into an entirely different person by growing a beard, changing his attire, altering his mannerisms and moving across towns in North India, while also staying off mobile phones to remain untraceable. Despite his elaborate planning, sustained technical tracking and human intelligence eventually led to his capture.

On the night of December 17, 2023, a gang allegedly intercepted a taxi near Dadar and snatched a red bag containing gold filings worth Rs 27 lakh. According to the police, the complainant and victim is a manager of a jewellery manufacturing firm and he was bringing gold dust and filings from the company’s West Bengal unit to Mumbai for processing. The manager was joined by two colleagues and together they boarded a taxi for Lower Parel. As their taxi reached near Ramee Hotel on Swami Jagjivan Das Road in Dadar East, a group of 5–6 men intercepted the vehicle. One man pretended to fall in front of the car, forcing the driver to stop, while others surrounded the taxi. The gang hurled abuses, assaulted the manager and his colleagues and during the scuffle, forcibly snatched the red bag. The manager was also punched in the chest as he tried to resist.

The manager immediately approached Matunga police, registered an FIR and shortly after they swung into action. Police scanned 200 CCTV camera footage from the area and within three days, they arrested seven accused linked to the dacoity. From them, they recovered part of the stolen loot which was Rs 2 lakh cash, 126.2 grams of gold ornaments and 6.1 kg of casting gold and filings.