Mumbai: Porter app used to move stolen Metro scrap around

The scrapyard. Pics/Rajesh Gupta

The Trombay police have arrested five people and detained a minor for using the ‘Porter app' to commit theft of scrap from the Metro site in Mankhurd.

Police said the accused were using the app to transport stolen scrap material from the under-construction metro site to a scrap dealer. On checking the app installed on their cell phones, the cops discovered that they had used it more than 45 times for such bookings. The police have seized scrap and a tempo - worth Rs 17.86 lakh in total - and have also arrested the scrap dealer who purchased the stolen material.

Shiva Bansraj Mantal, Vasiullah Sanaullah Khan, Rashid Latif Qureshi, Shabbar Ajmeri Shaikh, Wahid Mehboob Khan

According to the police, a case was registered on February 14 after a complaint by the metro site security supervisor Gajendra Kadam. The complaint states that around 1,568 kg of scrap was stolen from the site near Maharashtra Nagar in Mankhurd. "We registered a case against unknown persons and began the investigation under the supervision of Senior Police Inspector Rajesh Shinde," a police officer said.

The detection team of Trombay police which was investigating the case got a lead about a tempo passing through the location. "Our team reached the said spot and found a tempo filled with stolen scrap material and detained four people. It then came to light that they were using the Porter app to book tempos. The booking was done by one of the accused but he was not ready to reveal much. We checked his cell phone and with the help of the app administrator obtained details of their bookings," a police officer said, adding that most of the bookings were for pickup from Maharashtra Nagar for delivery to a scrap dealer in Mandala, Mankhurd.

A booking made on the Porter app

The police then identified and arrested the scrap dealer. The five accused have been identified as Wahid Mehboob Khan, 35, Shabbar Ajmeri Shaikh, 31, Vasiullah Sanaullah Khan, 46, Shiva Bansraj Mantal, 29, Rashid Latif Qureshi, 29. A minor has also been detained. "All of them have criminal records for housebreaking and theft. We also contacted porter drivers who attended to their bookings over the last few days, who claimed they were suspicious about the pickups after they were offered double the set amount for transport," said Bhausaheb Malvadkar, police sub-inspector, Trombay police station. According to Malvadkar, the accused used the app to avoid suspicion by getting a different vehicle and driver for consignments. "Whenever a driver got suspicious and asked them to cancel the booking, they would ask the driver to cancel it instead. However, if the drivers cancel the booking they are suspended for a week and so they would comply."

Malvadkar added, "We have also seized more than 700 kg of scrap from the scrap dealer. The accused would commit the theft at night to avoid inconvenience. We suspect they have been doing this for more than two months. Each one had a specific task, from booking a tempo to loading it… checking if the route is clear and striking a deal with the scrap buyer."