20 October,2021 07:52 AM IST | Mumbai | Faizan Khan
Suresh Pujari
Gangster Suresh Pujari, wanted in several cases by the Mumbai Crime Branch, has been arrested in the Philippines by its fugitive search unit. The Mumbai Crime had information in 2020 that he was staying in the South East Asian country and informed this to Interpol via CBI, which works as a nodal agency. He was wanted since 2007 and a Red Corner notice was also issued against him by the Mumbai Crime Branch.
According to sources in the Mumbai Crime Branch, though he was arrested by the Philippines search fugitive unit, so far it has not received official communication from the nodal agency. Pujari was also declared fugitive by the United States Department of Justice (DoJ) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), so he is likely to be extradited to the USA. "We have been after him for long and time and again we have shared information with the sister agencies. As of now there is no official confirmation about his arrest," said an officer of the Mumbai police.
According to reports in the Philippines media, Pujari was arrested from a residential building in Barangay Don Bosco, Parañaque City. The reports also suggest that he was staying in the country since September last year. Pujari was on the run for many years and in 2018 the Mumbai Crime Branch received information that he was staying in China. After that he shifted his location and was recently tracked to the Philippines. The foreign media reports also suggest that he was arrested after information shared by FBI with the Philippines local authorities citing him as a threat to the country.
According to Mumbai Crime Branch, Pujari has dozens of cases registered against him in Mumbai, which include extortion, attempt to murder and cases under the Maharashtra Crime Organised Control Act (MCOCA). Pujari was found living under a different identity. The Mumbai Crime Branch already has a dossier on him and will be sending it to the nodal agency to get him extradited to India to face trial in all cases.
