2.75 lakh N-95 masks, other face masks worth Rs 14 crore seized in city

The vehicle was seized from near the airport.

The Unit 9 of Mumbai Crime branch located at Bandra (West) seized facemasks worth Rs 14 crore on Tuesday and arrested four persons. This comes a day after Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray implemented curfew across Maharashtra.

The accused have been identified as Mihir Patel, 36, Shahrukh Sheikh, 23, Balaji Naur, 36, and Gulam Ali, 30.

Param Bir Singh, the Commissioner of Police, received information about the stock of huge quantity of masks, which includes 2.75 lakh N95 masks. Based on the tip off, Mahesh Desai, senior police inspector of crime branch, Unit 09, laid a trap.

The masks were brought near Sahar airport and four have been arrested under relevant sections of the Essential Commodities Act with 25 lakh pieces of masks, which includes 2.75 lakh pieces of N-95 masks.

The Maharashtra Home Minister Anil Deshmukh said, "We are having heavy shortage of these masks across Maharashtra. This seizure will fulfil the requirement of the city and state as well."

DCP Akbar Pathan, Crime Branch, said, "Two consignments of huge quantity of masks were stocked inside warehouse of city Cargo complex and one in Bhiwandi gowdown."

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