Mumbai police arrest four Machacha gang members

With the arrest of four associates of gangster Fahim Machacha, a close aide of underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, the city police have got a greater insight into the underworld network in the metropolis, a top police officer of the Anti-Terrorist Squad claimed on Wednesday.

The police officer was a member of the raiding party, who had nabbed the gangsters from Goregaon-Vikroli link road in the city suburbs on Tuesday night.

The officer, on condition of anonymity, told UNI that they had gathered important information about the Machacha gang network in the city, especially his local contacts and distribution of money received through extortions.

"Based on the information, we are expecting to arrest a few more top gangsters soon," the officer said.

He further said that among the arrested, most were in regular contact with Machacha, who is believed to be in Dubai or Karachi.

While the accused were produced at the Mazgaon Court in south Mumbai seeking remand, one of the suspects was also picked up by the police and is believed to have passed on information to his other gang members.

The officer added that Machacha, who is wanted in several cases including extortion, was arrested in 1995 and was later released on bail.

He was re-arrested in two cases registered by Mumbai Crime Branch as well as by Dongri Police Station from the international terminal while trying to flee to Dubai, but was again granted bail.

He fled soon after being released on bail.

Acting on information that members belonging to Machacha gang would attempt to eliminate a businessman at Goregaon on Tuesday night, the ATS sleuths laid a trap on the Goregaon-Vikroli link road and nabbed the gangsters.

The gangsters were identified as Ganesh Arun Pote, Mohammed Mukim Hussain Sheikh, Govind Eknath Padtare and Ajit Shantakaram Gadekar.

The police have seized three magazines, one country-made revolver, 18 live cartridges and a Maruti car from them.