Hello Mumbai City Desk

Mumbai Crime Branch Busts ₹25 Lakh Extortion Racket; 11 Accused Arrested After Sting Operation at Bandra Hotel

Mumbai, July 28: In a major crackdown on organised crime, the Mumbai Crime Branch’s unit 9 arrested 11 persons for allegedly attempting to extort ₹25 lakh from a civil contractor by threatening him with dire consequences. The arrests were made during a meticulously planned trap operation at a luxury hotel in Bandra West on July 27.
According to the First Information Report (FIR), the complainant, a Mumbai-based contractor, alleged that he was threatened by members of the accused group, who demanded ₹25 lakh as “protection money” in connection with a multi-crore civic construction contract. The suspects allegedly warned him that he would face serious consequences if he failed to comply with their demand.

on the basis of written Complaint filed by Contractor, officers of the Mumbai Crime Branch  Unit 9 Bandra West laid a trap after preparing dummy currency bundles mixed with genuine notes. The complainant was instructed to meet the accused at a hotel in Bandra, where the police team kept surveillance. As soon as the accused accepted the bag containing the cash bundles, the Crime Branch team moved in and apprehended 11 individuals at the spot.
Police have registered the case under relevant provisions of the Arms Act, 1959, and the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including charges related to extortion, criminal intimidation, unlawful possession of arms, and criminal conspiracy.
The investigation is underway to determine whether the accused are linked to a larger organised crime syndicate and to identify any additional persons involved in the alleged extortion network. Police are also examining the seized electronic devices and other evidence collected during the operation.

While speaking with Hello Mumbai News over the phone, Sachin Purnik, a police officer from the Crime Branch Unit 9, Bandra West, confirmed the crackdown on an organised extortion syndicate. “Yes, we have arrested 12 people in this extortion racket,” he said. According to Purnik, the syndicate was allegedly operated by dreaded gangster Zulfikar Behlim and his brother Mohsin Behlim. He further stated that Ajay Ravindra Yadav, Bilal Abdul Sayed, and Mahada Repair Board contractor Sikandar Tanvar played key roles in the organised criminal network. Police said Zulfikar and Mohsin Behlim have been involved in a series of serious offences, including murder, attempt to murder, and extortion. “We have booked all the accused under Sections 25, 3(5), 308(5), 351(3), and 61(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). We are also questioning other individuals suspected to be part of this organised crime syndicate we got police Custody of all accused till 3 July,” Purnik added.