Police recover Rs 6.5 crore , arrest 13 in robbery case

Two other accused, including an angadia, are on the run with rest of the money, the police said.

Dinesh Dureja, 54, a Chandigarh-based man, and eight others were arrested by Vile Parle police on February 20.

Vile Parle police have recovered Rs 6.5 crore and arrested 13 men in connection with a case of robbery involving a man who was allegedly trying to launder Rs 12 crore to Canada through Mumbai-based angadias.

Two other accused, including an angadia, are on the run with rest of the money, the police said.

They have seized three vehicles used by the gang for committing the crime.

When contacted, Manjunath Shinge, DCP zone 8, confirmed the development.

Read | Mumbai: Robbery bid throws spotlight on Angadia system and its challenges

Dinesh Dureja, 54, a Chandigarh-based man, and eight others were arrested by Vile Parle police on February 20. Dureja through his aides reportedly got in touch with Malad-based angadias to launder Rs 12 crore to Canada. Accordingly, Dureja reached Mumbai and stayed at a luxury hotel in Vile Parle (east). He allegedly took the money to an angadia named Patel in Malad diamond market.

However, the information reportedly got leaked and the accused, posing as police, robbed the money from Dureja, saying it was being seized on suspicion of being used for terror activities. The police said that angadias too were involved in the robbery. A social worker received information about the theft and alerted the police.

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“We have intimated the income tax department. The magistrate court will decide what to do with the black money we have recovered,” said a police officer.

The same gang posing as Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) officers had allegedly robbed a garment businessman from Mumbai of Rs 70 lakh. An FIR was registered in this case on Wednesday.

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Around 4 pm on February 11, the businessman, a resident of Wadala, was asked to come to Juhu, where he met one of the accused. Soon, two other accused posing as ATS officers reached the spot and took him in a car to Lokhandwala. Then they allegedly robbed him of Rs 70 lakh on the pretext of booking him in a false case.

After reading about the Vile Parle robbery in the news, the businessman approached the police. Shashikant Mane, senior police inspector of Juhu police station, confirmed the FIR but did not divulge details.

Jayprakash S Naidu

Jayprakash S Naidu is a Principal Correspondent for The Indian Express, currently serving as the state correspondent for Chhattisgarh. With an extensive career in frontline journalism, he reports on the political, security, and humanitarian landscape of Central India. Expertise and Experience Specialized Conflict Reporting: Jayprakash is a leading voice on the Maoist/Naxalite conflict in the Bastar region. His reporting provides a critical, ground-level view of: Internal Security: Tracking high-stakes encounters, surrender programs for senior Maoist leaders, and the establishment of security camps in formerly inaccessible "heartland" villages. Tribal Rights & Displacement: Investigative reporting on the identity and land struggles of thousands of displaced tribals fleeing conflict zones for neighboring states. Governance & Bureaucratic Analysis: He consistently monitors the evolution of Chhattisgarh as it marks 25 years of statehood, covering: Electoral Politics: Analyzing the shift in power between the BJP and Congress and the impact of regional tribal movements. Public Policy: Reporting on landmark infrastructure projects (e.g., mobile connectivity in remote zones) and judicial interventions, such as High Court rulings on civil and family law. Diverse Investigative Background: Prior to his current focus on Chhattisgarh, Jayprakash held reported from Maharashtra, where he specialized in: Crisis & Disaster Management: Notable for his extensive coverage of the Cyclone Tauktae barge tragedy (P-305) and the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on frontline personnel. Legal & Human Rights: Investigative pieces for platforms like Article-14, focusing on police accountability and custodial deaths across India. Environmental & Social Justice: Authoritative reporting on the Hasdeo Aranya forest protests and the approval of major tiger reserves, highlighting the tension between industrial mining and environmental preservation. ... Read More

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